Divine Interference
by SimplyFalling211
Summary: Hitsugaya Toshiro is sent to protect Hogwarts with a partner that SouTaicho Yamamoto hand picks for him. What may start off as a terrible idea may just end up being satisfactory, even to Toshiro himself.
1. First Encounter

Hello Everyone, SimplyFalling here! -waves- This is my first story that I finally worked up enough courage to post somewhere. As I state at the bottom of this in my author's note, I was only recently introduced to Bleach and am currently in love with it! But I'm not that ar, so please excuse me if I do get some details wrong, feel free to correct me in any comments that you leave for me. Anyways, enjoy chapter one!

Disclaimer: All the things you recognize? Yea, I don't own them. Things you don't recognize? I still probably don't own them. The only things I currently own are the plot and the OC I have in here.

**Chapter 1: First Encounter**

"MATSUMOTO!"

Said Strawberry Blonde Lieutenant cringed at the voice of her tyrant of a captain. She gingerly set down a half empty bottle of Sake on the marble coffee table that sat in the middle of Ukitake Taicho's office, a slight whimper clawing its way out of her throat.

"I didn't do anything!" She whined before slowly dragging herself up from the comfortable chaise lounge she'd previously occupied for the past several hours, the gentle captain of the thirteenth division smiled serenely at her before bidding her farewell. She trudged slowly through the open halls, the closer she got to her Taicho's office, the more evident his anger was, coming in the form of icy floorboards and air so cold you could see your breath.

She passed by several Shinigami that were piled in heaps, having slipped on the treacherously dangerous floors. She easily walked by them, having been the target of her captain's annoyance so many times, she sort of learned to skate in her sandals through the wide hallways. The door to the office was frozen shut, icicles glittering off the very tops of the wooden frame.

She stepped in easily, hoping to act nonchalant about whatever the snowy haired man was going to accuse her of and simply brush it off casually. It always worked before.

Her short tyrant sat at his high backed chair, a vein pulsating in annoyance on his pale forehead. His eyes were closed, but she didn't seem to mind that much, and he was pinching the bridge of his nose, most likely trying to ward off the oncoming headache she always seemed to give him. In his hand was a thick piece of paper, slightly wrinkled with how tightly he was clutching it. From her view near the door, she could easily see the cursive writing that covered the page. Someone named Albus Dumble-

"What the hell is this, Matsumoto?" He held up the thick paper before carelessly tossing it to her direction. She strode forward and knelt, picking up the paper with a well manicured hand, her grey eyes flicking through the sentences with ease, her eyes widening slightly at the information that this letter held.

_Dear Mr. Hitsugaya Toshiro,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all the necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins September 1. We await your owl no later than by July 31._

_Yours Sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress._

"I didn't do it, Taicho," She answered after reading through the letter twice, just to make sure she wasn't deceiving herself. Her captain sighed irritably before a hell butterfly flew through the partially opened window and landed on his forearm which lay resting on his desk.

_This is a notification to Tenth Division Captain, Toshiro Hitsugaya._

_Please report to Sou-Taicho Yamamoto's conference chambers to be briefed about your oncoming mission, this meeting will take place at 1 pm. _

Both captain and Vice captain exchanged a glance before Hitsugaya gave his consent, telling the tiny creature that he would be there at the written time. The butterfly flew off silently, disappearing through the window in which it first came through.

A glance at the clock told Hitsugaya that the meeting would begin in approximately 23 minutes.

"I told you I didn't do it, taicho," Matsumoto's famous Cheshire cat grin settled on her striking face. A growl was her only response as her tiny little captain went right back to doing his paperwork (And hers) muttering something about 'Complete and utter nonsense.'

She grinned easily before slipping onto the comfortable couch he kept in his office.

"Do you think they really exist, taicho? Wizards and Witches with little sticks as their choice of weapon?" She laughed to herself on the statement about the wands. Seriously, what were those tiny pieces of tree going to do in a real battle? It was nothing like the Shinigami's Zanpaktou, a blade that was bonded to their soul and was always useful in a battle. Most times anyways.

"I don't know. I have never heard of them other than in children's tales, I apparently will be debriefed before going on this mission," His deep voice actually calmed her nerves a little. For some strange reason, she felt uneasy about this mission, like something strange would happen and it wouldn't be good. They lapsed into a companionable silence, both pondering about this so called mission and what it would entail for the white haired, child prodigy she called her Captain.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

"Hitsugaya Taicho reporting in," The small captain stood in front of the Soutaicho's desk, his face impassive, even under the scrutiny of the older man. The old man said nothing for several minutes before speaking.

"Hitsugaya Taicho, we have had several reports of Menos level Hollow appearing in a town in England, it goes by Little Whinging. Also, several souls who should be arriving here from that certain location have disappeared from our detection, seemingly vanishing off of this plane of existence." The gravelly voice simply commanded attention. Teal eyes widened fractionally at the last bit. How could souls simply vanish without a trace? They almost always left at least a tiny reiatsu signature, something that wouldn't fade for days on end. The snowy haired captain stayed silent, allowing the older man to continue.

"There have also been reports of high levels of Spiritual pressure. Not nearly as high as ourselves, but still significant for a small town that it is. There is also a special little boy, he goes by the name of Harry Potter. He has been the target of an evil Wizard, who goes by the name of Lord Voldemort and-" Hitsugaya calmly raised his hand to interject something.

"So they do exist? Witches and Wizards?" The tiny captain raised a single snowy eyebrow. The older Shinigami gave a swift nod before continuing his speech.

"As I was saying, when this boy was a mere infant, he was the target of a killing curse by this Lord Voldemort. Somehow, during the time in which it was fired, the curse bounced off the boy's forehead and struck it's caster, who was the dark wizard. We have evidence to believe that Aizen is going to align himself with the dark lord to win the battle against us," The Soutaicho let this information sink in. Hitsugaya said nothing and merely nodded to continue, his mind writing all this information down for later use.

"I am going to send you on a mission. Investigate the disappearance of these souls and the sudden bursts of Hollow Appearances and Protect Harry Potter. We cannot allow Aizen to ally himself with such a dark and powerful figure. When you are fully beginning your mission, you will meet your partner, whom I have called ahead of time. She is of high ranking and demands respect, much like yourself. You will know her immediately as soon as you catch sight of her." Hitsugaya's face showed a flash of annoyance at the thought of having to go into this with another person he didn't even know. Hell, he would rather go on this mission with the Substitute Shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo than go into it with someone he had no clue of what their capability in any situation was.

"You will not regret my choice, **I** have served under **her** for many centuries as her advisor, she is more than capable of taking on this mission. However, I felt that this needed at least two high ranking officers to complete. Your guise has been set up by Captain Kurotsuchi in Division 12. You will be posing as a 4th year transfer student from Japan, attending a single year at this School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You depart tonight. Please go see Captain Kurotsuchi about your gigai, I do believe that he has designed something of exceptional value to you on this mission. This briefing is finished." Hitsugaya was stunned speechless. The almighty, all powerful Sou-Taicho actually served under someone? Witches and Wizards exist? Aizen and this Lord Voldemort character?

These thoughts swirled through his head, his mind desperately trying to process this new deluge of information. He walked calmly towards the twelfth division, stepping cautiously into the lab room.

He had no further gone past the threshold when the creepy black and white face of the captain appeared before him. Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri smiled gleefully in a way that made Hitsugaya's stomach turn at the sinister smile. The taller captain beckoned excitedly into a different room, this one much brighter than the actual lab itself.

He stepped into the room, finding several different types of machinery he didn't even want to learn how they worked. However, laying on the white surgical table was a gigai, his gigai to be exact, but it was different.

The snowy locks were still the same, maybe a little bit longer, but still the same. His complexion was just as pale as it was now, which didn't bother him. He immediately noticed something though.

This gigai was _longer_.

In terms of height, this gigai did seem taller than his current stature, something he begrudgingly admitted to in his mind. He ran his icy gaze over the length of the gigai, estimating that at least a foot had been added to it. The legs were longer, as were the arms. The sinuous muscle he knew was under the milky skin seemed more pronounced, giving the body a lean, athletic build that most people would be able to tell with just a glance. He turned to the ecstatically smiling Captain, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"What did you do to my gigai?" It wasn't that he was mad, not really. Simply confused at to how this was going to work out if he was so much shorter than his fake body.

"Very simple, in all actuality, Hitsugaya Taicho. I merely added a few inches here and there, tweaked the muscle patterning and voila! New gigai that should fit the description of a 4th year student!" The gleeful smile was back on the strange looking face.

"How will it work? Clearly I won't be fitting this body correctly with what you did to it," The icy voice sounded exasperated, teal eyes taking a glance back at the soul less body. Kurotcuhi Taicho smiled again before whipping out a dangerously long needle. He gave the syringe a tiny tap at the end, pleased to find the clear liquid shooting out. He held it up for inspection of the little Taicho.

This is a newly invented chemical, used mainly for bone growth. I personally designed this certain batch to alter your soul form in order to fit this gigai under Yamamoto SouTaicho's supervision. Now, All I need to do is inject this into you and you'll be ready to fit into your new body, kapeesh?" The twelfth division captain grinned before stalking towards Hitsugaya's small frame, which involuntarily stepped backwards.

No one heard the piercing scream that lasted for all of two seconds before silence reigned once more.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

When Toshiro woke up, his mind foggy with brief flashes of pain. He automatically _knew_ something was wrong with his body. He gingerly lifted up a single pale arm off the surgical table he found himself on and peered at it curiously. It seemed that his fingers were further away from him than usual. He pondered that thought for a minute before all the thoughts raced back into his mind in a painful throbbing that slightly muddled the events he knew last took place.

His eyes snapped open in alarm, however, and he sat up abruptly, immediately wishing he didn't as pain zigzagged up the length of his whole body in tongues of fiery agony. Nonetheless, he swung his legs off the table, completely surprised that his feet actually touched the ground now and he no longer had to jump off it as he was accustom to doing. He stood uncertainly on his legs, clutching the edge of the table as a safety precaution before turning slowly to face the side of a shiny metal appliance he had no mind in actually learning about. His gaze caught sight of his new body.

It was longer, leaner, and it felt more agile. His soul fit inside this new gigai quite comfortable, unlike the gigais (Plural?) he was used to which restrained the soul and felt like he had a box around himself. He was taller now, something that put a grin on his face as he became used to his newly elongated limbs. He estimated his height to be something close to 5'8, more than a foot taller than his previous short stature. He grinned and gave an experimental stretch before flowing easily into one of his rigorous morning exercises, pleased with the results. His body felt amazing now, lithe and agile as a cat yet still retaining the gracefulness he always had.

He rolled his shoulders, grinning as the movement was completed smoothly, although it wasn't like he was expecting anything different, coming from the twelfth division. He leaped lightly on the balls of his feet before nimbly making his way to his chambers to pack for the mission. He would departing within the hour.

Suddenly, this mission didn't seem as awful as he previously thought it was.

XxXxXxXxXxX

"Please be careful taicho, I sincerely mean this. I just.. Nevermind, just be safe," His subordinate called to him. He was seconds away from stepping through the Senkaimon. When he had stepped into the office to pack a reasonable amount of paperwork to bring with him, his fukutaicho had nearly passed out from his newly altered appearance. She squealed in delight and crushed his taller frame into a hug that threatened to kill him, his face practically swallowed up by her massive bosom. After forcefully pushing her away, he informed her of her duties as his replacement for the role of captain. She didn't seem to take in anything of what he'd said so he simply resigned to telling Urahara-San to send him paperwork periodically, in which he would then return the completed work before the due date.

He took a last glance at his subordinate before stepping through the glowing gate. He crossed the Severing world without much resistance and reappeared in a crowded alley. Biting back a growl as someone stepped on his foot, he chanced a glance around, and looked at the paper that was clutched in his pale hand. He was supposed to head to a place of lodging called the Leaky Cauldron, which wasn't hard to find given the rickety sign that squeaked with the way the wind blew. He grimaced at the outer appearance of the building before stepping inside.

As soon as his foot crossed the wooden threshold, silence reigned supreme in the busy area. Many older men had begun whispering about his odd hair color and the strange pigment of teal that made up his eyes. The young huddle of witches giggled at him as he drew his cloak more tightly around him. He caught snippets of their conversation, which mainly revolved around his 'Achingly handsome, exotic features.' He simply grinned to himself, which looked more like a feral snarl to the other patrons of the inn. A tall, dark haired man wiped his hands on a nearby dishrag nervously as he approached.

The man was clearly the innkeeper, the apron that he wore only signified that much. Toshiro gave a curt nod.

"I need a room for one-" He had begun to ask for a room to stay in for the next 3 weeks of summer he had left to prepare for the beginning of term.

The innkeeper gave a quick jerky, shake of the head.

"S-someone came in earlier, saying she needed a room for two and to k-keep a lookout for an e-exotic looking male," The innkeeper stumbled over his words numerous times. Toshiro wondered why before checking his control on his reiatsu. Everything was under control, so why bother freaking out over a person's physical appearance. Either way, it seems his partner was already residing in a room here and he needed to meet her. He gave a short nod, silently saying for the nervous man to lead him to the room.

The innkeeper struggled with his pockets for a minute before pulling out a key ring with a single, bronze key attached to it, the number 13 was engraved on the dark metal.

"S-she's staying in room t-thirteen. U-up the stairs and the s-seventh door down to your r-right, u-um, s-sir." The many had a shadow of absolute fear in his eyes now. Unperturbed, the snowy haired man gave his thanks and took the keys, grabbing his trunk as if it weighed no more than a penny and proceeded up the stairs, the conversation once more starting up, and, as he was ascending the stairs, the hot topic seemed to be about him.

He turned onto the first hallway to his right and found the door labeled 13. As a precaution, he flared his reiatsu warningly, saying silently that he was cautious but ready to walk in.

"Come in," A soft, soothing, melodic voice met his ears through the aging wood. He turned the brass handle of the door and stepped through, shutting it with his foot easily. Inside the room, which he found delightfully cold, were two beds, a nightstand between them. A single desk which held a small reading lamp and a tiny bathroom to his right. His teal eyes zeroed in on the figure sitting at the small bay window. She turned to face him.

She was stunningly beautiful, otherworldly beautiful in every sense of the word. Her sun kissed skin was clear of any blemishes, soft, wavy tresses that were the color of a moonless sky drifted down past her slender shoulder to end just a few inches from her backside. Her eyes were the most peculiar shade of silver he'd ever seen, and he's seen many pairs of silver and grey, but her eyes just stood out. They sparkled with a hidden light and had a clear glimmer in them told him silently that she was very intelligent. She was tiny in height, something he was rather smug about seeing he was much taller than her, she really couldn't have been taller than 5'2. At most.

It was clear that, just by her posture, that she demanded respect. He gave a quick bow, noting mildly that she had an athletic looking build, while still keeping her form very feminine. He could easily say she was fast, agile, and carried a grace that only those of nobility could hold. She had a generous bosom, not nearly as large as his lieutenant's, but still quite large. Her legs were long compared to the rest of her body, the tan skin showing from the jean shorts she wore. He met her steely gaze, somehow knowing that this mission was going to be a big success, just with the fact that she was smart.

"Good evening, I am Toshiro Hitsugaya, Tenth Division Captain of the Gotei Thirteen," His deep voice ringing out across the room. She gave a quick bow, which he noted was well executed with her hands crossing left over right across her thighs. Her next words, were the ones that froze him in place, shock and disbelief running through him.

"Good evening, Hitsugaya taicho, My name is Choi Hyerin, the daughter of Hachiman and Dainichi, the God and Goddess of War and Wisdom*. I am a full fledged Goddess and therefore, I wield the Powers of the Divine. It is a pleasure to be working with you," She answered stiffly. She made a vague motion to the bed sitting closest to her.

"Have a seat, there is much to discuss."

XxXxXxXxXxX

Woohoo! There's chapter one for you guys! This technically is my first story (That I decided to actually post somewhere) and I really hope you guys will enjoy it as much as I will writing it. I was just recently introduced to Bleach, so all my facts aren't exactly down pat yet, but please help me along the way if you see an error, I would be extremely thankful if you did do it. Anyhow, Read and review please! Tell me what you think, It's a first for actually doing something like this for me.

Ja Ne!

SimplyFalling211


	2. If You Have My Back, I Have Yours

**Chapter 2: If You Have My Back, I Have Yours**

"A…Goddess?"

The question finally seemed to make its way out of Toshiro's mouth, his prodigious knowledge finally leaving him open mouthed. Clearly, he himself was one of the Divine, perhaps maybe of a lower class, but still one nonetheless, but the female in front of him exuded power as if was the most normal thing in the world. He did the only thing he could think of, he fell into a formal bow, one that he usually only gave to SouTaicho because that was the highest ranked person he'd ever met.

"I am, I'm the Goddess of the Night, the one who can control the Night, it's residents, and the shadows themselves. It is clear from your reiatsu signature that you are an ice wielder, a most powerful one at that. Yamamoto did well in choosing my comrade for this mission, he knows I dislike fire users. You may rise." The tiny woman turned back to face the window, glancing down at the bustling streets where you could hear over excited students even from a second story window.

"My, this alley is quite busy during this time, The term must be starting soon. Are you posing as a 4th year student as well? If old man Yama briefed you, we need to make a quick trip to a house on Privet Drive, ne?" She cast an easy grin to Toshiro's direction, who was just now straightening up from his formal bow. His mind was still working furiously to figure out this puzzle that sat so casually in front of him.

"Yes, something about numerous Hollow appearances have been reported there, we need to go check on this immediately," She was talking to herself now. She easily stood from her narrow perch and gave a languid stretch before waving a hand through the air. Her casual blouse and shorts shimmered before being replaced by standard Shingami robes with an outer haori. Upon closer inspection, it was indeed similar to that of a standard captain's overcoat but this one had golden kanji on the back instead of the black division symbol. The kanji spelled out something that he couldn't make heads or tails out of. This was a statement, seeing as the snowy haired youth was the keenest of all the captains in the Gotei Thirteen.

"If you're wondering, it says Shadowed Blood Wolf, and it's not kanji, as you might think. You'll understand at some point in this mission, if not during the slaying of these Hollow." She called over her shoulder, reaching a hand between the wall and the headboard of the rickety bed frame, she pulled it back out, a gleaming black blade was clutched in her hand. The guard was an eight pointed star, similar to Hyourinmaru in bankai, and the hilt was wrapped in a fine, black silk. At first, it seemed that she carried a blade with no sheath, which he thought was strange, but was somewhat surprised to see her pull the hilt and the case fell off. The sheath itself was just a hollow blade, allowing for another sword to reside in it. It was an interesting concept, being able to carry two swords, although one was hiltless and guardless, was a rather clever idea.

It took him a moment to realize that he'd just seen her go from a mortal body to spirit form without the use of a gigai or soul candy. He glanced down to the small rabbit candy dispense clenched in his calloused hands and raised an eyebrow at her patiently waiting form.

"You just changed forms without the usage of a fake body. How?" His statement was abrupt and direct. It's not like he would specifically word his sentences just because she was of a much higher rank than he. He could hear a dainty giggle from the tiny woman.

"Simple, your spirit form is contained inside your gigai, like a box, correct?" She made a motion to his body. He nodded in response, silently waiting for her to continue with her explanation.

"Your soul candies activate the gigai's opening mechanism, literally dispelling your spirit form in order to replace it with the modified ones, like the one you're carrying now. What I did, to get out of my mortal body, is switched places with it in my mind. I got a picture of myself in my spirit form and thought about it and gathered up reiatsu in my head and pushed outwards, like I was going to encase my mortal body in my spirit form. The ending effect is that your fake body is forcibly pushed inside your Shinigami body, almost how you would with the aid of a soul candy, except this way is much faster, its cleaner, and you don't have to leave your body in the hands of," She glanced down at his hand, "A cartoon rabbit." She finished. He took a moment to process the new information.

"In other words, you are wrapping your spirit form around your mortal body, successfully switching into your spirit form without a gigai?" Hitsugaya replied after thinking about the process for a moment. His eyes looked bright and somewhat thoughtful, contemplating on trying this as of right now.

"Don't try to do it now, it'll take some time to get used to, and it just flat out isn't pleasant to be halfway stuck between both forms. To mortals with no spiritual pressure, you'll look like you're having an epilepsy, you'll be thrashing around trying to either get back into the fake body or trying to get out. To other Shinigami and whatnot, you'll appear to literally be stuck somewhere between the two bodies. It's very awkward." She called from the rickety doorway where she was sliding her gleaming sword into its sheath and laying it across her back. With a resigned sigh, Hitsugaya brought the rabbit shaped candy dispense and popped the pill in, swallowing it and letting the round sphere travel to his stomach. With a familiar lurch, he was out of his body. Turning, he immediately issued orders to his gigai who smiled in a dorky fashion.

"Don't touch anything, should anyone try to get your attention from the door, stay quiet and act like you're sleeping. Do not draw attention to yourself, got it?" The fake body gave a mock salute before ambling serenely to a bed and belly flopping on the surprisingly soft sheets.

"Let's go."

The two high ranking officers disappeared through the door, haoris flapping through an invisible breeze.

~oOo~

"BOY! YOU BETTER KEEP THAT DAMN BIRD QUIET OR I WILL PERSONALLY DO IT MYSELF!" A lanky, black haired youth merely rolled his eyes and attempted to calm the panicking owl. With no avail, he cast a quick glance to his door and opened the window, letting the snowy bird fly through into the balmy summer night breeze. He kept a watchful eye on the bird, making sure she didn't stray too far. The graceful bird made a sudden dive and Harry knew she'd just caught her dinner.

He left his ever faithful companion to eat and went to see what homework he was going to be doing today. It was only a mere three weeks before his fourth year at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, began. He could barely contain his excitement at the prospect that he would really be home soon, back in his element.

Let's see, he needed to complete a foot and a half long essay for potions, describing the effects of adding Ashwinder eggs to love potions and why they made it that much more effective. He needed to write a foot of parchment for Charms, describing the advantages and disadvantages of the Caterwauling charm. Every other assignment, he'd finished under the protection of night and with a flashlight to guide him through his quill strokes.

With a flutter of wings, Hedwig flew back through the window, gliding gracefully back into her open cage. She gave a soft cluck of her beak and the dark haired boy got up and closed the gate on her wire framed cage.

A moment after closing Hedwig's cage, he felt the strange, prickling sensation that something evil was lurking nearby. This was not the first time that Harry Potter had felt this feeling, it may have been the third or fourth time. However, unlike the first few times, this one felt more…directed, more concentrated to one area.

It felt more powerful.

The lightning shaped scar that had made the boy so popular in the wizarding community itched with irritation, yet it didn't burn. Clearly, Voldemort only felt that this presence was a mere nuisance, simply waving his hand away.

The aura was close. Very close.

Harry reached under the creaky, loose floorboard and pulled out his wand. Tucking the weapon into his back pocket, he carefully, silently crept down the stairs and through the back door. Stepping into Aunt Petunia's garden, carefully avoiding the actual plants themselves, he skillfully made his way to the side of the house, pausing in the shadows to make sure that nothing was coming in his immediate direction.

He turned his head to the left, and assuming that was his best chance, he turned and made his way down Privet Drive, almost to the intersection of his street and Wisteria Walk. There he crept into a narrow alley between two random houses and waited. He could sense the dread that built up inside him like a fast flowing river being dammed up. Something bad was about to happen, he could easily tell.

A glimpse of movement in the corner of his eye. His head whipped around, catching sight of… it wasn't quite a dementor, it was huge and hulking. A pointed nose and a white mask was all you could see amidst the long, flowing cloak the creature wore. Harry pulled his wand out with a shaky hand, unsure of what this beast would do. He prepared to shout the Confundo charm before a quick flick of movement, a simple blur in the darkening skies, caught his attention.

The movement was gone before he could actually track it. The monster let out a terrible shriek, and then out of nowhere, a massive cut appeared straight down the middle of its hulking form. The white masked figure let out a last roar before disintegrating into nothingness. Two voices sounded above him.

"That was our fifth one in thirty minutes. We must alert the old man about this, it's rather serious." A melodic voice, colored with concern, spoke up. He chanced a glance up and just managed to make out two figures. They both wore strange articles of clothing and wore white overcoats that fluttered in a nonexistent breeze. The figure standing directly above him on the roof of the house he was closest to had striking white hair, his hair was the color of winter's first snow. It was pure and clean, Dumbledore's beard paled in comparison to the brilliant white of the short, spiky locks.

The second, much smaller figure was standing next to him. Hair that was almost as black as the dark sky fluttered around slender shoulders. A weapon that most certainly did not look like a wand was loosely gripped in her hand.

_Was that.. A sword?_

The figure with the white spiky hair spoke up, his voice a surprising baritone.

"Hn. I thought he'd said that people here were capable of defending for themselves." The velvety voice spoke. Harry could just barely make out the form of a brilliant blue blade strapped to his back, the blue was the only thing that made the sword visible. The black haired wizard decided to take his chances against the two intruders.

"Who are you?" His voice seemed tiny and insignificant but he held his wand pointed at them in what he hoped was a menacing manner. Both figures stopped talking and glanced down.

Bright silver and frigid teal met his own emerald green eyes.

The two figures glanced at him questioningly before looking at each other. They spoke quietly in a language that he couldn't understand. The white haired male leaped down in front of him, landing with the agile grace of a feline. The tiny female was close behind him.

"You can see us?"

Harry wasn't sure if the tall male in front of him was actually serious or not. Clearly, his confusion was written all over his face like an open book. The male sighed irritably. The female placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, almost in a restraining way.

"Should we just use a memory modifier?" The white haired man, which Harry noted, did look exceedingly young, murmured to his companion. He was staring at Harry with calculating teal eyes. His eye color was one of the most extraordinary shades he'd ever seen. It reminded him of a glacial pool; Cold, deep, and somewhat unforgiving. The female gave him a thoughtful look and said something in a rapid tone, too fast for him to catch. It clearly was not English.

"What do we look like to you?" The young woman stepped up beside her companion, her look was somewhat guarded. He knew right away that should he make a wrong move, he would find himself at the end of her shiny blade.

"What do you mean, how do I see you two? I see both of you perfectly clear, from your weird eye coloring to the strange clothes you're wearing." Harry tried to seem casual, attempting, and most probably failing, to brush the stranger's words away without a doubt. The two glanced at each other, a silent conversation going on between the two.

"Are you a wizard? You must be." It wasn't really a question since the female then answered herself in a rather thoughtful manner. She brought her blade over to lay across her back where it sat going from one shoulder to the opposite hip and downwards.

"I have a headache," The white haired male grumbled in a rather annoyed fashion. He was pinching the bridge of his nose irately before he reached into one of his sleeves and pulled out an object that Harry couldn't identify before smoke clouded his vision.

"Let's go."

They were the last words that Harry heard in that deep, rich baritone before suddenly, his memory was cut off and all he could think about was.. Blankness. The fog that surrounded him eventually cleared, leaving a rather confused dark haired youth as to what the hell just happened.

~oOo~

"I did not realize that they would be able to detect reiatsu. So they're both aware and completely useless. What did he think he was going to do with a silly stick pointed towards us? Granted I could feel a tiny amount of reiatsu emanating from the stick he calls a weapon, it was nothing compared to out zanpakutou." Hyerin spoke over the quiet din of the busy pub. The other patrons in the area did give them a strange look every now and again, but neither of the pair cared to be bothered by them.

It was simple really, all the men were drawn to the ethereal beauty that sat with the exotic, teal eyed man in a small corner table. The witches in the room seemed to be getting flustered just by looking at him, despite his annoyance steadily growing which resulted in a lower room temperature.

"Yamamoto Soutaicho said nothing about them being able to see souls, which I wouldn't have thought would be possible." Toshiro replied coolly, taking a sip of his piping hot green tea. With a flirtatious batting of her long lashes, Hyerin has successfully made her way into the kitchen herself and made a cup of hot tea for the both of them.

"There's only one way to find out," She calmly stood up, the wooden chair squeaking horribly against the wood floors. She easily made her way into the bathroom that was not five steps from their secluded table. He watched her with unfathomable eyes as she disappeared into the bathroom, coming out a second later in soul form. She didn't even bother to use the door, she simply walked right through it.

No one in the pub seemed to notice, either that or they just didn't see. She even had the mind to unsheath her blade and do several moves, the black sword shimmering in the dim light of the warm room. The point was even more obvious when a gaggle of young witches walked over to the table where Toshiro sat alone, quietly awaiting the return of the young goddess. One even sat down in the seat she'd previously occupied. Her long, fair hair and bright green eyes did nothing to him when clearly she was one of the most sought after witches in this pub. She must've been the pub's whore.

"Hey there, Handsome," She cooed softly, reaching a hand to play with a strand of his snowy locks which he deftly dodged. He sat back in his seat, his eyes flickering to the entry of the bathrooms where Hyerin stood, leaning against the wooden frame with her blade idly twirling in her slender fingers.

"Can I help you?" He really wasn't in the mood. Clearly, every female in the wizarding world liked their men from exotic places. Everywhere he'd gone so far had garnered him some unwanted attention, either from his looks or just the aloof, frosty demeanor he always upheld.

"You could do me a big favor by coming home with me and showing me a good time," She batted her long lashes at him. He was so close to rolling his clear eyes that he could practically hear Hyourinmaru's rumbling laughter in his head. The stupid dragon laughed at his situation.

"I don't believe that I can," He responded, carefully choosing his words so as not to give her any ideas.

"Oh I'm sure with those model good looks that you've bedded hundreds of women," She was leaning forwards now, purposely showing off her cleavage to him. He held back the snort of irritation before catching Hyerin's eye. She was looking at him, curious as to what he was going to do. He blinked at her once and she disappeared back into the bathroom, reappearing seconds later in her mortal form. Adding a sensual sway of her hips into her sauntering walk which no doubt garnered the attention of several male patrons, she made her way back over to her seat.

She mouthed the words 'Get up!' at him. He unhurriedly stood up and left the tea on the table. The fair haired witch also stood up, confused by his abruptness.

"Must you leave?" The witch practically begged him not to go. He chuckled softly before turning to face the tiny female standing behind the group of witches.

"I do suggest you back away from my date," Hyerin finally spoke, threading her way easily through the witches to stand by his side, Unnoticed by the witches, she'd stomped on his foot and practically growled for him to offer his arm. He grudgingly offered a hand to her, which she daintily took and flashed a million dollar smile to the open mouthed witches before turning and heading up the stairs with Toshiro a step ahead of her.

As soon as they were out of sight, she released his hand and he could clearly see her silver eyes as they rolled up to peer at the ceiling.

"She was a disgusting whore." She replied simply to his questioning silence. They made their way quietly down to the room she'd booked. Upon opening the wooden door, a blast of chilly air greeted both residents in the face. A happy smile broke out across the young goddess's face.

"I _love_ the cold. It's always been one of my favorite elements," She sighed as she made her way to the middle of the room where a silver ball of energy, which she described to him was just a concentrated ball of cold reiatsu, radiated the chilly air.

She sat down on the bed and turned to look at him.

"I got you out of that situation, you owe me." He said nothing in return as he went to the window, silently peering down into the still bustling streets.

"I have your back if you have mine." It was his version of a deal and it was easy enough. They were in this mission together after all.

"Deal."

~oOo~

Yay! End of Chapter two! Just to let everyone know, I did not rescribe my earlier note on chapter one. Hachiman is the fabled God of War and Militaristic strategies in Japan, the ares if you would. Dainichi is basically Athena in Japan, though she can take on the form of either gender, but in this story, she is STRICTLY female. Clearly, she's the Goddess of Wisdom. Anyways, this was basically a filler chapter. The next will be shopping and Chapter four will include the train trip to Hogwarts! Oh, and before I forget, ALL THE PAIRINGS IN THE BOOKS ARE APPLIED IN HERE. THERE WILL BE NO BLEACH/HP COUPLINGS, well, not unless the readers REALLLLLY want them. It may be possible, I am still not sure. Anyways, keep in mind this is my first story and I'm still really unsure about this. Anyways, until next time!

Ja Ne!


	3. We Meet Again

**Chapter 3: We Meet Again**

"We have a week before we are to depart for the Hogwarts Express, the train that is supposedly to take us to our school," Hyerin had a thick piece of parchment in her hands which a hell butterfly had just delivered to their room. She walked to the middle of the room and pulled aside the curtain that separated the two halves. She glanced at Toshiro who was sitting at the desk, patiently working through the enormous pile of paperwork he'd had the mind to bring with him.

"At least you're listening to me," She muttered. It was clear from his posture that he was indeed listening to her. As he worked, he made sure to keep his head cocked to the side where she was currently reading off the thick letter.

"We need to do our shopping. Wand, pointless but I suppose we do need one. Cauldron, Pewter, Standard Size 2. Robes, black, three sets. Gloves. Winter Cloak, We both enjoy the cold, we won't be needing one. Pointed hat for day wear? Hell no. Crystal phials. Telescope. Brass Scales." She read off the list, making snide comments to herself on particularly pointless objects. She leafed through the rest of the thick stack of papers before pausing on what Toshiro assumed to be the last page.

"Hm? What's this?" She dropped the rest of the papers onto his desk unceremoniously. He growled at her under his breath before re-situating where the orderly piles needed to be. He continued on with his paperwork.

Just as he was signing off a form that asked the permission of the usage of an abandoned courtyard for training uses, The dainty female beside him let out a terrifyingly loud screech of dismay. Being around his lively lieutenant for so long, he calmly finished his brush strokes and set the brush aside. He gave her a sharp glance.

"What is it?" He could see a look of clear shock written all over her porcelain. She handed him the paper that she was previously reading, her right hand coming up to pinch the bridge of her nose in a very Toshiro-esque manner.

_This is a message for High Ranking Officers Choi Hyerin and Hitsugaya Toshiro, _

_It has come to my attention that you will be attending a school of wizards as transfer students from Japan, who have mastered a different type of magic which they will know as Kido. Both of you had agreed to work undercover to protect the famous Harry Potter and also work to protect school grounds. There will be tournament held this year where the strongest will survive. While I have no doubt that either of you will do fine, I ask that both of you participate actively in this contest. You will be representatives of Shino Academy._

It was signed by SouTaicho Yamamoto himself.

Toshiro tossed the paper onto the desk in disgust.

"Going on a mission with you I was perfectly fine, hell I didn't even know you. But Now we have to compete in something? A Wizarding contest to boot! The nerve of him! I am going to have a nice, _long_ talk with Yama-jii when I get back. Ohh!" She growled out in frustration. A few minutes of blissful silence later, she sighed and walked over to a chair and tossed a light cloak around her shoulders, made of the same light material as standardized Shinigami robes.

"We need to go shopping." Her voice was as calm and still as a shimmering lake. It was easy to tell she was still rather frustrated with the arrangements but she accepted either way. Toshiro stood from the desk seat and followed after her after pocketing a soul pill into his jeans.

~oOo~

"Wands first. Ollivanders. Easy enough." She said into the cool autumnal air. She led the way through the bustling streets into a rather quaint, dusty shop. She pushed the door open with ease, a small, tinkling bell alerted anyone in the shop that someone new had just arrived.

It looked as if the shop had not been in use for several years. Layers upon layers of thick dust coated every box in the room. The massive shelves themselves stretch from floor to the vaulted ceiling, piled with boxes. Each box emitted a soft glow of energy to the eyes of the two non-mortals.

They tread lightly, each step leaving a distinct imprint on the dusty floors. An older man emerged from the back room, carrying a single box which he promptly put into an empty space on the shelves. He walked towards them

"Hello there, I am Ollivander. I've been making wands since 382-" Hyerin lifted a hand and waved it slightly, telling him silently that he needn't waste his breath on formalities.

"We're both transfer students from Japan, attending Hogwarts for a single year. We are in need of wands," Her tone of voice was clearly a 'Don't Mess With Me' message without words. Ollivander smiled at the two foreign students lightly before asking which hand was their wand hand.

Toshiro had no idea what he meant by that but held up his right hand, he used Hyourinmaru most with this hand anyways. Ollivander did shoulder to wrist, shoulder to elbow, elbow to wrist, and wrist to each fingertip. After doing the same measurements to Hyerin, he mumbled to himself as he stood on a ladder and retrieved four boxes from the top. He presented Toshiro with the first box. Upon holding the twig, Toshiro almost laughed at how fragile the wood felt between his fingers.

"Willow with Thestral Tail hair, 9 and ¾ of an inch. Go on, give it a wave!" Feeling slightly stupid, Toshiro gave the wand a quick flick of his wrist. The movement caused the front windows to burst into a million different glass shards. The wand was promptly confiscated from him.

"Birch with Veela hair, 8 inches." The wand was given to him. Immediately he did not like it, it felt much too heavy in his grasp and the reiatsu surrounding it was faint at most. He gave another flick of the wrist. Hundreds of wand boxes fell from their perch. Again, the wand was confiscated.

He attempted the two wands he'd selected for Hyerin, which generally destroyed the majority of his shop. Again, he went back and retrieved more wands for them to test. None felt right to either of them.

"Hawthorne with Unicorn hair, 6 inches." The front desk exploded into ash.

"Willow with Phoenix feather, 12 inches." The door flew off its hinges and collided with the nearest shelf.

"Birch with Dragon Heartstring, 13 inches." At the sound of the word 'Dragon', Toshiro's head glanced up sharply. He took the and noted that it indeed felt much better than the other wands he'd tested, but it still wasn't quite _right_. He gave it a wave. The lighting fixtures above them creaked ominously before crashing to the ground. Despite being unattached, the lights stayed on as they littered the ruined floors of the little shop.

"Holly with Phoenix feather, 10 inches." He handed the wand to Hyerin who gave him a bored look and flicked it easily. Another couple hundred wands flew off their perch on the shelves.

"My, my, it's been a long time since I've had such difficult wielders come in. Come, follow me. I haven't made a custom wand in ages." The two warriors glanced at each other once before following the old, muttering man. The were led down a narrow hallway before it opened back up into a vast room. Jars upon Jars of items in strange fluids lined the shelves along three walls. The fourth had a number of wooden blocks set into the stone walls.

"Choose your core and wood please. The one that sings for you in most definitely the one that is rightfully yours." The pair split up, Toshiro went straight for the woods, contenting himself with choosing the right one for himself. Hyerin decided to take the opposite route and browsed through jars of interesting items, though none of which really called out to her. Her Zanpakutou stirred in the recesses of her mind.

_Mistress, the core which you seek is not among these. It is hidden away, far from other prying eyes._

Taking her blade's words to heart, she did a quick cursory glance around the room and almost glanced over a small cabinet which was so swamped with jars she almost didn't see it. Her blade, which was named Dovahol Volum, the great blood wolf who was completely composed of shadows, hence the writing on her haori in soul form, hummed with pleasure. Apparently she'd found the right place.

She methodically began to move the staggering number of jars onto the floor, being mindful not to step on any of them. A number of strange objects caught her eyes, but none really told her that _she_ was their master. She cleared enough of the jars away that she could see the opening to the cabinet. With a few more swift movement, she cleared enough of the jars that she could open it. However, the cabinet was locked.

"These are a well kept secret of mine, dear. These are ancient cores, passed through my family's wand making business for several generations. I've only taken one core out of here to make a wand, and it was beyond powerful. If I do remember correctly, the wielder of the core that came from here was indeed a foreign student, or perhaps he was a teacher. Long white hair, just identical to your companion. He was such a kind and gentle soul. I do believe his name was Juushiro Ukitake." As those words left the old wand maker's lips, Toshiro and Hyerin made eye contact, which did not go unnoticed by the old man.

"He looks a lot like you, young lad. Tell me, is he your father?" The old man glanced at Toshiro before pulling out a set of keys.

"He is," Toshiro said slowly, deciding to go along with the lie that was put in front of him. Placing down the block of Blackthorn he was inspecting, he walked casually over to where Hyerin stood.

"He was such a peculiar customer, his wands even more so. Am I right to assume you two are _just_ like him?" Ollivander quirked an eyebrow, glancing at the two officers with amused interest. So he knew, he understood. Hyerin gave a quick nod.

"Then your cores will most definitely be in here. His, I believe, were the scales of twin mermaids. They can be found in the black lake at your school. His wand was most interesting, the wood, I believe, was a combination of Holly and Willow. That wand excelled in most any category, one of the finest I've ever had the pleasure of making." Ollivander quickly turned his wrist and pulled the cabinet open. Inside were seven rows of five jars. Each one, as the warriors could tell, thrummed with energy. Their cores were most definitely in here.

Hyerin scanned the rows of jars, conversing quietly with her blade. The wolf in her stood and paced in it's dark confines.

_It is here, Mistress, you still can't see it though. Reach your hand into the back of the third row and pull out the jar your hand touches first._

Hyerin cocked her head before pushing aside two of the jars on the third shelf and reached in, her hand connecting solidly with a glass jar. Wrapping her fingers around the dusty jar, she pulled her arm back out and set the jar on top of the cabinet, peering into it curiously.

The jar was pitch black, she couldn't tell if it was the color of the jar itself or if it was the contents. She could feel power coming off it in waves, it felt incredibly similar to Volum's power, in fact… it _was_ Volum's energy she was feeling. She glanced at Ollivander sharply.

"Ah, that I believe is the fang and heart string of a mighty beast. From what I gathered from my father, the beast which once owned these was composed of Shadows and is the ancestor to the werewolves we have today. I haven't seen the items yet however, it is as if the liquid itself is a poisonous gas. It pains me to try and reach into the jar, so I simply gave up on it." Ollivander looked at her apologetically, reaching to put the jar back before she held it up for inspection. It took one glance before she was twisting open the jar.

"It will hurt your hand, dear child. The poisonous gas will eat away-" Hyerin grinned wickedly as she reached into the jar.

"It isn't poisonous gas. These are condensed shadows." She answered swiftly, pulling out a single, gleaming white canine tooth and the heartstring that was attached to it. Ollivander clapped his hands excitedly, ushering her to put the two items onto a small disk.

"Oh yes, yes, dearie. These will make spectacular wands! I do believe that a combination of Blackthorn and Elder are just perfect for your wands, after all, you have two sides, do you not?" Hyerin inhaled sharply, registering the fact that indeed, she could wield Hollow powers. This man knew a lot more than he seemed to acknowledge.

"These wands will be most powerful, and soul cleansing to boot!" Ollivander was chattering excitedly, taking out blocks of wood and setting them aside, taking out a double order of each, assuming that Toshiro was the same as her.

He turned back around and headed excitedly towards Toshiro, who was currently examining a jar of ice blue. The jar itself seemed to be made of ice and the single piece of opalescent material shimmered in the blue liquid.

"Ah yes, indeed, another interesting core. This is a piece of FireShard, collected from the mighty ice dragon of the east. The brilliant colors are the opalescent flames that were trapped in the ice itself." Ollivander picked the jar up and carried it over to where the wolf fang and heartstring lay.

"Now, lad, if you would please extract the shard for me," Ollivander unscrewed the lid and presented the jar to Toshiro. Instead of the liquid he thought would be there, the first third or so of the jar was a thick chunk of ice. With a tap of his finger and a tiny flare of reiatsu, the ice was once again a liquid and Toshiro pulled out the fragment of ice, the colors sparkling brightly in the dim light.

"This too will make a wonderful wand. I guess these cores were just waiting for the right owners!" Ollivander exclaimed gaily. He hurried over and placed the shard next to a block of light wood. Hyerin glanced amusedly at the ecstatic shop keeper before looking at Toshiro. His gaze was cool and level headed, just as he always is; In control of the situation at hand.

"I will get started on them immediately! However, I desire to take extreme caution when creating these, so I will estimate that these wands will not be completed until next week at earliest. Though I must ask you to pay today, I guarantee that you will not be disappointed with the finished weaponry." Ollivander was smiling like it was the best day of his life. Hyerin nodded before taking out a small bag that was on the inside of her robes. Reaching in, she thought of a suitable number of coins, something the wizards called Galleons, and pulled the coins out, wrapped up neatly like any other roll of coins. In total, she estimated around 50 galleons to be present, which should be more than enough to pay for the custom made wands.

Handing the roll of coins to the old man, she thanked him quietly before telling him should he need to send the wands to them, send them to her personally by Hell Butterfly, which he understood. He knew of Hell Butterflies, that is how he got Ukitake's wand to him, is what he recalled. Fine little creatures, he'd commented.

They exited out of the shop and dove straight into the bustling cobblestone street of Diagon Alley. Next on the list were three sets of black robes and one set of dress robes for males, a formal dress for females.

Hyerin glanced around the little shopping are before finally making out Madam Malkin's just over in the corner of her eye. Sighing almost tiredly, Hyerin began making her way to the large outfitting shop, trusting Toshiro to follow her, much to his dismay.

Stepping into the large parlor, Both warriors knew that they're foreign presence did not go unnoticed. Their reputation for exotic good looks and beauty beyond comparison had apparently spread like wildfire from the Leaky Cauldron. The soft murmurs and whispers gradually began to build up as a tall, stout woman came to take their measurements.

After doing so, and with several comments on Hyerin's figure from the portly woman, they were asked which robes they were to purchase.

"Three sets of black robes for each of us, two sets of your finest dragon hide combat boots for each of us. A light cloak for both orders, ones with Silver fastenings, and two sets of your crimson combat robes for each order. Place as many defensive and protective charms on each item as you can." Hyerin listed off the items with ease, pointing to each one in turn in the crowded shop. A few families had taken a single glance at them and hurried out, muttering something about coming back later. The large woman nodded as the quill in the air moved on its own, writing down each item and how each item needed protection.

"Will that be all, missy?" The accent was heavy but the woman was kind enough. Nodding, Hyerin reached into her robes and pulled out the money bag, pulling out yet another role of Galleons, this time followed by a smaller role of silver coins, one Toshiro didn't even bother wanting to know about.

With a promise that their order would be ready in two hour's time, they left the crowded shop, heading to the book store.

However, before they could even step in, a familiar head of black hair and bright green eyes looked at them, almost inquisitively. He turned to a female whose hair was just about as outrageous as her enormous buck teeth and whispered something to her and pointing in their general direction.

"He shouldn't remember anything about us, but I'll go and have our order delivered directly to our room," Hyerin muttered quickly before disappearing into the overflowing shop. Excited eleven year old were running about, clearly too hyper about starting their first year to even think about sitting down. Toshiro said nothing but leaned against a shaded wall, somewhere he could easily be missed but still get a view of everything that was happening and be positive that no sneak attack would be launched.

A few minutes later, Hyerin reappeared next to him, seemingly stepping away from the wall like she had been next to him the entire time. Toshiro knew the most probable answer was she'd simply walked through the walls.

They'd finished their shopping, making a last trip to the apothecary to pick up items for potions as well as the cauldron before heading back to Madam Malkin's and picking up their robes.

Returning to their room at the Leaky Cauldron, the books they had ordered were stacked neatly on each bed. Hyerin sighed before going to a bag that she'd brought with her and pulled out a small box. Inside were two small pills the color a blooming sakura blossom. The pale pink pills gave a large wave of power from it; She handed one to Toshiro.

"These pills contain all the knowledge of a 7th year Hogwarts student and all the dark Magics that most Asian countries are educated in. The Forgotten Arts, the Darkest Arts, have been drilled into Asia's wizards for as long as I can remember, after all, the world's finest magic warriors always come from Asia, Japan to be more specific." With an almost absentminded wave of her hand, a glass of crystal clear water appeared before each of them.

"Crush it with your teeth into a powder and then swallow with a gulp of water," She told him the instructions before tossing the pill into her mouth and crunching into it. She chewed and drank water, setting the glass gently on the table next to her before gripping the edge of the table harshly. Her eyes were wide open and he could practically see the incredible amount of data being printed onto her eyes there was so much of it. Ten seconds later, she shook her head lightly and stood back up, blinking off the last effects.

"Kami, that felt strange," She muttered before sitting on her bed and pulling open a book, continuing on with life as if she hadn't just learned centuries' worth of information in ten seconds.

Toshiro glanced at the pill before sighing and placing it into his mouth. He crunched into the orb like a piece of candy. Once he felt the substance in his mouth was fine enough, he washed it down and sat on the edge of his bed.

The deluge of information being poured into him was staggering. Spells, curses, charms, hexes. Anything you could possibly think of was being crammed into his already full head to the point where he felt like he was going to explode. Even with a mind that was as fast as a super computer, he was having a very difficult time processing everything. Luckily enough though, the information found its own way through his mind and sorted itself.

As sudden as the barrage came, it was gone. The lasting effects, a fact here, and a curse or charm there, made their own way to be sorted into his massive mind. He blinked rapidly, lifting a hand to his face unsteadily.

"Get some rest, we leave for the train at dawn." Her voice distantly registered in his ears, his mind still whirring about in an attempt to figure out where all the information could have possibly stored itself.

The last thing he remembered was laying down on his bed and…blackness.

~oOo~

Neville Longbottom cautiously peered into the last compartment, hoping against all odds it was empty. Sadly, there were two occupants who sat across from each other, right next to the window. The deep cowls of their cloaks hid their identity but they were very clearly fast asleep.

Deciding that this was going to have to be his only option, Neville carefully stepped into the compartment, lugging his trunk up to sit on the luggage shelf above his head.

Attempting to be as silent as he could so as to not disturb the napping pair, Neville sat down right next to the door on the side where the smaller of the figure was sleeping. Sitting silently with his fingers twitching anxiously that were currently resting in his lap, He waited before there was loud chatter coming up the aisle to his immediate left.

The door opened noisily and Neville quickly cast the two sleeping residents a fearful eye before holding a finger to his lips to silent the newcomers, who, of course, happened to be the Golden Trio.

Ron looked at the two cloaked figures and immediately decided he disliked them. Why would you want to hide yourself while in a train? He glanced at the suspiciously before putting his ratty trunk up beside Neville's, setting Pig's cage onto the seat next to him.

Hermione and Harry were much more polite than Ron, taking care to quietly set their trunks up on the shelf and have a seat. Luna joined them shortly after, putting her trunk away and settling down to read her copy of 'The Quibbler', upside down of course.

Quiet conversation filled the tiny compartment, an open curiosity for the two figures was currently being discussed.

"I don't like them, why are you putting a hood on in a train? They're bloody weird," Ron commented, carelessly throwing his legs up onto the seat next to stretch out, the heels of his ratty sneakers accidentally landing on top of one of the figure's cloaks that floated around them. A fair amount of mud and dirt was shaken off onto it.

"I do suggest that you take your shoes off my cloak before I forcibly remove them from my person and my belongings," A deep, rich baritone sounded from the figure who sat next to him. Slightly startled, Ron hastily tried to take his feet down, only shaking off more clumps of mud onto the expensive looking cloak.

"Annoying," The voice spoke again, a pale hand and muscular arm appeared from the folds of his cloak and gripped the edge of his cowl before pulling it down.

A pale face with a shock of white, spiky locks materialized in front of them. The jaw line on the male was strong and you could tell he was one of great power. He opened his eyes and glared at the offending material staining his cloak.

Frigid teal looked at the mud before waving his hand, the mud was disappearing in a flash. He turned to look at the other residents of the small room. His icy gaze locking in on every person.

No one moved a muscle, the intensity of the male's stare made everyone freeze, all except Luna who hadn't even glanced up from her magazine.

The second figure, sensing that her companion was roused from his sleep stirred in hers as well, reached up to pull her cowl down as well. The hand that had first come out was noticeably smaller and more feminine, the cowl falling around her slender shoulders to reveal her face.

She was ethereally beautiful, from her small, delicate face to her astonishingly big silver eyes. Thick, black lashes lined her clear eyes and softly swept side bangs portrayed the look of innocence. Her long, wavy hair was sleek and shiny, almost as if she'd stepped out from a professional salon just minutes ago rather than just waking up on a bumpy train ride. Judging by the way the rather large cloak surrounded her, Harry guessed she was tiny, her height couldn't have been much and he assumed that she couldn't have weighed more than a hundred pounds.

She muttered something softly and the male turned and gave her a sharp look. She merely blinked at him in response. Turning back to the boy-who-lived, she spoke.

"Hello, my name is Hyerin Choi and this is my acquaintance, Toshiro Hitsugaya. We are foreign exchange students from the Shino Academy in Japan, attending a single year here in order to further our knowledge in magic. Please treat us kindly." She gave a slight nod of her head in greeting.


	4. Another Assignment!

Hello Everyone! I am back with another update, seeing as it's so rainy where I live, I just decided to stay home and do an update. As a little note, English is not my first language, Korean is my mother tongue followed closely by Cantonese. I apologize sincerely about any mistakes that I make, grammatical or otherwise. I've only studied English for a little more than two and a half years, and trust me, I think I'm doing pretty good on my own. (I'm trying not to sound egotistical). Anyways, **I realized I didn't put a disclaimer on my previous two chapters, but it should be obvious I own neither book/manga/anime.**

**Read and Review!**

"Talking," - Regular English

"_Talking," - Japanese or other foreign language. (Will usually only apply to Hyerin and Toshiro, I may italicize things for emphasis, but I'm sure you all can figure that out.) _

'_Talking,' - Thoughts_

'_Talking,__' - Thought Communication_

'_**Talking**__,' - Zanpakutou's voice_

**Chapter 4: Another Assignment?**

Hermione could immediately tell you that she disliked the newcomer directly based on her appearance. Her hair was amazing, it was soft and shiny and completely devoid of frizz. She was tiny, yet she had a body that Hermione would clearly do anything for. Her smile was beautiful, her teeth were a brilliant white and lined up in perfect order.

Let's face it, Hermione Granger, the smartest witch of the generation, was jealous.

Ron, however, completely revoked his earlier assumption of their weirdness. I mean, napping with a hood on? He did it…sometimes. It was understandable, right?

Okay, another fact, Ron just thought she was hot.

Neville was the only person in the room who'd recovered fast enough to actually speak, albeit blushing madly and stuttering terribly.

"I-It's nice t-to, uh, meet y-you," The poor boy couldn't even make eye contact with the softly smiling beauty. Toshiro scoffed openly before waving his hand in a casual flick, elongating the compartment so everyone had more space to breathe. It had become unbearably warm in the small room.

Hermione was downright astonished.

"You cast the elongating charm without even saying anything! Did you just use a form of wandless magic? Is that what your school in Japan teaches? Would you mind helping me out on fine-tuning my wandless magic use? How do you even know that? You can't be more than a fourth year, like us! What House will you-"

"_Urusai_." It was a clear statement. The petite female sitting across from him giggled behind her hand. He tossed her a dirty glare, sighing and turning to look out the window.

"Hitsugaya dislikes being asked questions that are fired off one after another. It leaves no room for answering, so, truth be told, he gets fed up and tunes the questioner out after the first two or three questions," Hyerin supplied, crossing her legs and making herself more comfortable.

"_You can't blame me, Matsumoto is always like that. After being her superior and facing her everyday for the last half century, you grow tired of it_," He spoke calmly in Japanese, never taking his eyes off the scenic woods they were currently passing over. The small female simply laughed again, choosing to ignore his statement completely. Toshiro rolled his eyes before facing a now madly blushing Hermione.

"To answer your questions: Yes I did, Yes, Yes, Depends on my mood, I just do, I am one, and your last question was not completed and I therefore cannot give you my answer. Next time, remember to leave the victim of your onslaught of questions room to answer. Due to you asking me questions in rapid succession, you now get to detangle my answers on your own," Toshiro simply gave her a cold glare before turning back to the window.

Hermione's blush grew into an even deeper shade of rose red.

Before anyone else could break the awkward silence, which the two strangers seemed to enjoy, the food cart came up the aisle and opened their door.

"Would any of you like food or drinks, dears?" The kindly woman who always looked after the food cart was smiling at them.

Ron reached into his pocket, digging out a few coins and purchasing four chocolate frogs while Harry indulged himself in a stack of cauldron cakes.

"Two bottles of water will be fine, ma'am," A cool, feminine voice called from the back corner. Hyerin stood gracefully and walked the short way to the entrance where she handed the kindly woman a single Galleon, more than ten times what she needed to pay for the drinks.

"Here, let me get your change," The woman began to wave her wand to get the change before Hyerin shook her head, taking the offered drinks.

"No change ma'am, you can keep it," Hyerin gave a small bow before returning to her seat. No one noticed her hand charge a tiny amount of her naturally cold reiatsu into the water which formed chunks of ice. She tossed one of the icy drinks to the silver haired male who, to some degree of awe, caught the drink without opening his eyes.

"_Arigatou_," He murmured quietly before taking a sip of the cold liquid. The compartment was silent from there on out, broken only when Ron cried out when he'd accidentally bitten himself on the tongue.

A soft buzzing sound came from Hyerin's robes, somewhere in the folds of that enormous cloak she wore. Judging from sheer observation, the cloak itself must have belonged to Hitsu.. Hitsu-something, Harry had noted.

Hyerin reached into her robes and withdrew her hand, clutching a pure white device. Harry new it was a phone, just judging by appearance, but he'd never seen one so high tech.

It was clearly a touch screen, something that the muggle world had yet to come out with, but no one really needed to know that.

Hyerin breezed through the several security locks she'd placed on her phone before looking into her messages where Yama-jii had sent her a report.

_High Ranking Officers Choi and Hitsugaya,_

_Aside from participating in the upcoming tournament that is to be held at the school, I am requesting that you both teach two classes in the mean time. You will teach Kido and Combat Training and Battle Strategies. I give you special permission to have access to your zanpakutou during these times and there will be rings that you can disguise them as that Urahara Kisuke has designed. They will arrive shortly after your arrival. Your position as Professors will be announced at the feast. I wish you luck on your mission and I expect a detailed report in no less than three days. _

_-DIVSN1-STGSY_

"_You're freakin' kidding me,"_ Hyerin snarled out in Japanese, Hitsugilia, or whatever his name is, raised a single snowy eyebrow. Hyerin's face contorted into disgust before throwing the sleek mobile at her companion. He caught it easily and read over the message, his face showing no emotion whatsoever.

Ron attempted to read over the male's shoulders but gave up when he realized he couldn't understand a single thing the message said.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Hermione was eager to find out more about the foreigners. Her interest peaked even as Hitsugilia tossed the phone back to Hyerin. He said nothing and just stared out the window, his face an impassive mask.

"You'll find out at the feast tonight," Hyerin said curtly before she brought her legs up into a crisscross style and pulled the cowl of her cloak back on, settling down for the last three hours of silent meditation.

Her silence was interrupted rudely just a mere three minutes later when the door was slammed open unceremoniously.

"Well, well, look was the dog dragged in. If it isn't Potter and his crew," A white blonde male was sneering, two enormously built males standing behind him.

"Don't remember asking you to join us, Malfoy," Harry interjected icily.

"Weasley…what is that?" Pointing to the hyperactive owl's cage, a sliver of Ron's moldy robes were rather obvious.

"Rather fashionable during the eighteenth century, don't you think?" Malfoy was laughing now. By now, his raucous behavior had gotten the attention of the two other residents in the compartment. Hyerin pulled her hood off gracefully, casting a chilling glare in Malyfoy's direction.

"I suggest you leave, _now_." Her voice was strong and commanding, still, though, Malfoy did not yield. Instead, his attention was now on her.

"What's a beauty like you sitting in here with a crowd of_ freaks_ like them?" Malfoy questioned coolly, putting on a charming, charismatic mask on. It always worked to charm others into his grasp.

"I believe it is none of your business, now leave." She snarled angrily, ready to fire a dark curse at the poor boy. Toshiro stepped in calmly.

"I would think it wise to follow her words, she would be willing to fire a curse at you and I will not intervene," His cold voice sounded from just across Hyerin. Malfoy turned to look at him, immediately not liking him. After all, Malfoy hated it when others looked better than himself, and it was clear that this man had looks that were model worthy.

"If it isn't a freaky looking grandfather, what happened to that hair? It's horrendous!" Malfoy sneered venomously, somewhat vexed when the snowy haired male did not respond to the insult. He humped lightly before turning back to Ron, whose ears matched the color of his fiery hair.

"Will you enter Weasley? Bring some honor to your family?" Malyfoy laughed out loud. Hyerin didn't seemed to care anymore, simply tuning out the petty arguments about the clearly hinted tournament. Her reiatsu flaring slightly from her iron bound control, the lights in the compartment flickering slightly, gathering the attention of all the residents besides Toshiro.

"What was that? Do you think there's gonna be another dementor? Here to give you one of it's soul sucking kisses?" Ron was looking around frantically, but what he'd said garnered the attention of both warriors. They shared a glance. Soul sucking kiss? It was worth looking into, they agreed silently to look up information about it later.

Malfoy left just minutes after, laughing loudly. His cronies followed him dutifully and the door slammed shut after them.

All the attention swiveled to face Hyerin. She raised an eyebrow in question.

"You were totally unaffected by that git's pureblooded attitude! You told him off even as he complemented you with that silver tongue of his and you completely ignored him!" Everyone was laughing and smiling, trying to remember the moment where the beautiful stranger had told him to leave, her companion backing her barely concealed threat.

"Simple, I've dealt with worse," Hyerin replied smoothly, pulling her cowl back up and focusing on meditation, ignoring all the laughter that surrounded her.

~oOo~

"Firs' Years Ove' Here! Firs' Years and Transfers!" The booming, loud as thunder voice struck out over the slightly confused din of the chattering first years. Hyerin and Hitsugaya both grabbed their trunks and shrunk them down, deciding it would be easier this way than lugging around a heavy case. They approached the massive man that was calling out for the First years and Transfers.

"Ah, you mus' be th' two Transfer from th' Shino Academy, am I righ'?" The man had a massive grin on his ruddy face. Hyerin nodded curtly.

"We are, and you must be Hagrid, the half giant and teacher of the magical creature class," Hagrid nodded enthusiastically, holding out a hand which Hyerin took daintily. He shook her hand with such force Toshiro was sure the shoulder had dislocated, still, neither said anything else.

"We jus' gotta cross this here lake and we'll be at th' school!" Hagrid was smiling happily. Hyerin found his enthusiasm slightly infectious and offered a small smile herself.

She strolled forwards, not even bothering to keep up with Hagrid's much longer strides. Unnoticed by all except Toshiro himself, she was glancing around the campus, documenting everything that she deemed necessary for the duration of their stay. Her silver gaze swept back and forth as she kept walking, going from the dark, foreboding tree line of a forest to her left and the lake's shimmering, still surface and back again.

Reaching the shore of the black lake, both warriors took note of several boats tethered to a makeshift dock. They both sat opposite of Hagrid, seeing as all the first years were terrified of their hard, cold stares.

Other than the occasional chastising of a first year who'd gotten too close to the water's edge, the ride to the castle was silent. Hyerin and Toshiro were taking note of their surroundings with rapt attention. Hagrid took their interest as a desire to learn more about their school, rather than to look for escape routes, battle areas, places where it would hardest and easiest to fight and so forth.

"Hogwarts is one of the longest standin' wizardin' school in the world!" Hagrid was boasting now, something neither of the pair seemed to be bothered about. Noting their lack of attention and boredom, Hagrid didn't dare proceed any further in the well practiced speech about his beloved home.

Stepping off the boat with a predatory grace, both Hyerin and Toshiro then proceeded to stand in front of the great wooden doors, where they were met by a stern looking woman, her hair was tied back in a tight bun and her features were schooled into the features an older sensei would have worn back at the Academy, Toshiro mused in his head.

"You must be the two transfers from Shino Academy," At their nod of confirmation, she continued, "I am Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the Head of House for Gryffindor. Come, follow me, the welcoming feast is due to begin shortly. You will need to be sorted into your respective houses, I believe." She turned on her heel, her robes billowing out behind her and trusting the two newcomers to follow.

Upon walking through another set of grand doors, a massive dining hall greeted them, almost as large as the one back at the Academy. Four long tables stretched from front to back, accommodating enough seats for at least 300 guests per table. The officers were only mildly impressed, they'd seen much more impressive in their long lifetimes.

A staff table was situated at the very front of the room, though only one figure got their attention first. The form was rather sheer and flimsy on the edges, it was a short, older man ad he was conversing with another teacher.

There was a ghost here. And it was clearly a _teacher_.

Hyerin gave Toshiro a sharp look, he nodded in return to her identical thoughts. A konso was in order. The chattering in the hall was slightly dimmed down at their arrival, but quickly picked back up, continuing on as though they were not present.

Harry saw them walk in and nudged Ron and Hermione, tilting his head in their direction. Their eyes were guarded and they were staring at the staff table. The trio attempted to pick out exactly what they were looking at but failed to do so before McGonagall placed a three legged stool, perching atop it was a ratty hat. Not to ehir surprise, it started to sing.

_A thousand years or more ago_

_When I was newly sewn,_

_There lived four wizards of renown,_

_Whose names are still well known:_

_Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,_

_Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,_

_Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,_

_Shrewd Slytherin, from fen._

_They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,_

_They hatched a daring plan_

_To educate young sorcerers_

_Thus Hogwarts School began._

_Now each of these four founders_

_Formed their own house, for each_

_Did value different virtues_

_In the ones they had to teach._

_By Gryffindor, the bravest were_

_Prized far beyond the rest;_

_For Ravenclaw, the cleverest_

_Would always be the best;_

_For Hufflepuff, hard workers were_

_Most worthy of admission;_

_And power-hungry Slytherin_

_Loved those of great ambition._

_While still alive they did divide_

_Their favourites from the throng,_

_Yet how to pick the worthy ones_

_When they were dead and gone?_

_Twas Gryffindor who found the way,_

_He whipped me off his head_

_The founders put some brains in me_

_So I could choose instead!_

_Now slip me snug about your ears,_

_I've never yet been wrong,_

_I'll have a look inside your mind_

_And tell where you belong!_

The hall burst with soft applause just as the first student was called.

"Ackerley, Stewart!"

"_RAVENCLAW!_" The hat boomed out once it had made its decision.

"Baddock, Malcolm!"

"_SLYTHERIN!_"

The sorting continued in much the same fashion before it reached the end, the two transfers stepped forward calmly. Hyerin went first and sat gracefully on the stool, McGonagall placing the ratty hat on her head.

The hat could just barely touch her mind before an iron defense went up.

'_I mean you no harm, I only wish to peer inside your head to see which House is deserving of you,'_ The hat spoke into her mind. Hyerin tensed considerably, which was not unnoticed by Toshiro. He studied her quietly, steeling himself for something that was obviously not pleasant.

'_Who are you? Why should I let you into my mind?'_ Hyerin questioned coldly, her barrier into her mind unrelenting.

'_I am the Sorting Hat, I need only go through your thoughts to see what you value before choosing a new home for you!' _Reluctantly, Hyerin made a tiny hole in her wall, allowing the hat to just glimpse her thoughts.

'_I'll need more room for that, my kind lady,'_ Hyerin widened the space even more, giving the peculiar object a view into her mind.

'_Ah Ha! A dead one? Quite interesting, and a Goddess to boot! Oh young one, you are very interesting indeed!' _Hyerin growled lowly in her mind, only just giving a hint of a threat that should the poor hat divulge any information, than he would be incinerated in the fiery depths of hell.

'_I shall not tell anyone, I never do. You are cunning and brilliant, Ravenclaw and Slytherin would be proud to have you in their ranks, yet you hold an unfathomable amount of courage and loyalty, your bravery is most prominent as well. Very well, you belong in…'_

"_GRYFFINDOR!_"

Tearing the hat off her head, she threw the offending material onto the stool and sauntered gracefully to an empty seat cross from Hermione. Settling down, she turned her eye to Toshiro who was now placing the hat over his silvery locks, a guarded expression in his eyes while he stared right at her.

'_Another dead one? You must also be a Shinigami, but not of the true Divine as your other companion was.' _Toshiro started, his guard just jumping from a simple awareness to full on high alert.

'_Have no fear young child, your secrets are safe with me,'_ The sorting hat told him in response to Toshiro's abrupt security level change up. Not giving the hat a chance, Toshiro secluded himself deep into his mind, Hyourinmaru snarling at the conscience of the talking hat.

'_**I refuse to share your mind with another!'**_ Hyourinmaru growled dangerously, to which the hat gave a startled cry of enthusiasm.

'_Another soul! I thought I'd sensed another presence in your companion's mind, but hers was much more well hidden that yours, dear child,' _Toshiro bristled at being called a 'child' once more. The hat was humming in his head, sifting through all his achievements.

'_My, you are an accomplished one! A Captain! And the youngest one to ever reach that rank! You are a genius! Ravenclaw would be most honored to have you!'_ The hat was just about to declare Ravenclaw as his House when Toshiro cut in.

'_Place me in Gryffindor, my loyalty to others is widely known and unsurpassed by many. I have a bravery that is notorious among my kind. I am on a mission to protect and the person I need to protect is in Gryffindor, as well as my partner,'_ Toshiro countered to the hat's sudden spluttering. It seemed the hat was headstrong about putting him in the House who was famous for prodigies, but Toshiro knew he was correct. Many other captains had joked that once Old Man Yamamoto decided to step down from his position, he would appoint Toshiro himself as the new head.

'_Very well, you belong in…'_

"_GRYFFINDOR!_"

Toshiro plucked the hat off his head, shaking out his snowy locks and proceeded down to where Hyerin sat, taking a seat to her right, next to the slightly pudgy boy he'd seen on the train. Longbottom Neville was his name.

"Man, can we eat now? The sorting took forever! I could eat a whole hippogriff!" Ron moaned out, his hands trying to ease the terrible sounds emitting from his abdomen.

Dumbledore stood up, clapping his hands together before talking.

"Welcome to those of you who are new, and Welcome back to those who are home. I have two more words for you," The kindly old man smiled at the patrons of te Hall, "_Tuck in_!"

Immediately the golden platters in front of them were filled with steaming piles of food. The food ranged from roasted pigs and baked potatoes to casseroles and everything in between. To the surprise of the Japanese transfers, there was even a few dishes they recognized from home, and to that they were thankful.

"Wha's 'at?" Ron pointed to a dish of white balls, his mouth stuffed full with mashed potatoes and gravy. Hyerin wrinkled her nose in distaste at his manners but proceeded to grab a white round.

"Onigiri, one of the more famous dishes of our home," Hyerin explained curtly, biting into the still warm rice ball. Rather than the usual fillings, it seemed that the cooks, or elves is what she'd heard had decided to fill them with western foods. Roasted meats or vegetables were what filled most of them, a few just had salt in them and were otherwise plain.

Other than Onigiri, they found, much to their delight, miso soup and sushi as well as other dishes.

As Toshiro chose to start with a bowl of miso soup and a cup of green tea, which is also what Hyerin chose as her drink, Neville cautiously picked up what appeared to be a flower of sorts, soaking in a light broth.

"What is this? It looks kind of pretty, almost like a flower," Neville commented, placing it on his dish so he could inspect it more closely. Hyerin took a sip of piping hot tea and spoke, reaching for a 'flower' herself.

"Squid," She answered, popping the seafood into her mouth and chewing it calmly like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Neville looked at the innocent looking 'flower' is shock, the petals, or what he now knew as tentacles, curled up beautifully at the edges. He carefully speared it with his fork and gingerly placed it in his mouth, chewing first slowly and then chewing more rapidly once he found out it didn't taste bad at all.

"It's very chewy, and sort of has a very faint taste of chicken," He said thoughtfully, reaching for his second one.

While Hyerin struck up a light conversation with Neville, Toshiro kept to himself, ignoring the banter between the trio about house elves and slavery. At the end of their argument, Hermione refused to eat another bite. His thoughts were more towards who was trustworthy and who was not.

Slytherins were definitely out of the question, the incident on the train told him that much. Ravenclaws were clearly very smart, so he kept them in mind. Hufflepuff leaned more towards being hard workers and produced the menial wizards at the school. He didn't care much about them.

He pushed his barely touched plate away from him and contented himself with his tea, only pausing to get a few pieces of watermelon when the desserts had come by. As he chewed the sweet fruit, his eyes wandered over to the staff table, anticipating their reaction when he would be among them in just a few moments.

As the plates cleared with a wave of Dumbledore's hand, said wizard stepped forward.

"I ask for your attention while I give out a few notices," He clapped his hands together," Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle this year has been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list is comprised of four hundred and thirty seven item which can all be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anyone would like to check."

Dumbledore continued, a kind smile on his weathered face.

"As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third years," Dumbledore took a deep breath before continuing, "It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

Several cries of dismay rose up, including Harry's and Twins with the same fiery head of hair as Ron. They must be related, Hyerin noted absentmindedly.

"This is due to an event that will be starting in October and will last the majority of the school year taking much of the teacher's time and energy. I take great pleasure in saying that Hogwarts will be hosting-"

There was a deafening sound of thunder in the Hall and both officers glanced at each other and were ready to materialize their swords if necessary. The doors banged open.

A man stood in the in the doorway, dripping from the rain and was leaning heavily on a staff. Every head, including the two officers turned to look at the stranger. The man lowered his hood and shook out a mane of grizzled dark grey hair. A dull clunk echoed with each of his step and it didn't take long for each student to note that the man had a fake leg.

To the sharp eyes of Hyerin and Toshiro, they knew not to trust him at once. His reiatsu felt wrong, it was as if the energy didn't quite match up with the body. It felt evil and tainted. His facial features is what shocked most people.

Lightning had shown the man's face for a brief moment, but it was enough. His face was weathered and wrinkled, covered in crisscrossing scars of all shapes and sizes as well as in different stages of healing. His mouth was shaped like a jagged slash across his face, currently taking on the form of a scowl; A large piece of nose was also missing from his face. His eyes were most unnerving about his appearance, however.

One eye was completely normal; Small, dark, beady, sort of reminiscent of a pig's eyes. The other was a large, round as a coin glass eye that was colored a blue so electric, it could have matched Hitsugaya's eyes if not a few shades different. The eye was completely independent, never blinking and rolling in every single direction possible; Up and down, side to side, and then front to back, showing off the brilliant whites of it as if the eye were peering into its owner's brain.

He hobbled over to Dumbledore where they exchanged a few quick words before Dumbledore gestured to an empty seat at the staff table. The man promptly dug into a plate of sausages, his regular eye fixed on his food while the other darted around restlessly.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Dumbledore was all cheery happiness now, but neither of the two officers cared, they were both taking down several notes about this man. Something about him was just offputting for the both of them.

"This is Professor Moody," Hagrid and Dumbledore both clapped enthusiastically, but soon realizing the lack of applause, they stopped fairly quickly. Dumbledore cleared his throat and Hyerin as well as Toshiro knew it was about to be their turn.

"As you all may have noticed, We have two new transfer students from the infamous Shino Academy in Japan!" Dumbledore clapped again, this time joined by a few fellow Gryffindors.

"It is also my pleasure to have you all know, they have agreed to teach two classes in what their school is most famous for, their division of magic, otherwise known as Kido, and Combat training!" Whispers sprung out across the Great Hall.

"May I introduce our youngest Professors yet, Professor Choi and Professor Hitsugaya!" Both aforementioned warriors rose gracefully, sauntering up to the slightly upraised platform and leaping onto it with an ease that was seen in most predators.

Clapping rose, first shyly, and then developing quickly into booming applause. Hyerin and Toshiro bowed respectfully, turning to greet the rest of the teachers.

"Aside from their teaching, they will also participate in regular classes. Before I was interrupted by Professor Moody's arrival, I was just about to mention that Hogwarts will be hosting a most exciting event. This event has not been held in over a century, but it is to my great pleasure that Hogwarts will be hosting the Tri Wizard Tournament!" Dumbledore finished, clapping enthusiastically.

"You're JOKING!" Someone cried out from the end of the Gryffindor table, Hyerin saw it was one of the red headed twins.

As Dumbledore explained the History of the tournament, Hyerin turned and gave the ghostly professor a glance, noting he DID look rather nervous. It was clear he knew something was wrong with her and Toshiro. She discreetly told Toshiro about her findings while keeping her attention fixed on Dumbledore's speech.

"The ghost professor knows about us, or at least he understands that something is wrong," Toshiro nodded minutely but listened to the speech. When the crisis about the death toll had come about, the two warriors knew they had their work cut out for them. Death tolls meant protection. If the evidence about the boy they were told to protect was correct, they guessed he would be instated into the tournament. At least both of them would be doing this.

Death toll didn't really apply to them, they were dead anyways, or in Hyerin's case, never alive to begin with.

Hyerin stepped forwards to do some explaining about the classes they were to teach.

"Shino Academy in Japan is famous for releasing the best wizards in their specialty field, wandless magic. We are also the top recruiting school for warrior wizards and witches. We train in sword work, dagger wielding, archery, and Covert Ops tactics, otherwise know as the Ninja tactics. We will begin the introduction class with Bakudo, the 'Way of Binding' Magic and we will only begin with sword work for the classes who are third year and above. The sign up sheets for our class will be posted in front of each entrance to the four Houses," Hyerin finished her simple speech and stepped back, bowing once and then leaping off the stage with a grace that really no one thought a human could possess. If only they knew.

Soon enough, the Great Hall was emptying, the prefects guiding all the first years to their new homes.

Hyerin and Toshiro managed to find their own way up to the Gryffindor common room, simply sensing where the concentration of familiar reiatsu they'd felt during the feast was most concentrated.

The painting of an enormous woman blacked where they could feel the concentration, and the sign up sheet for their class that was tacked to the right of the painting signified this was the entrance.

"Password?" The woman questioned haughtily, holding a wine glass which she was trying to break with the pitch of her horrendous voice.

"I do not know, we are here as transfers and professors, let us through." Hyerin said, sighing absentmindedly. The painting refused to budge, even a measly inch.

"Afraid not dear, I need the password," The woman replied snidely. Hyerin glanced at Toshiro, she'd long since figured out what his element was.

"Freeze her, please. I have a headache." Toshiro, too, had a migraine thundering against his skull. With a curt nod, he flashed his reiatsu towards the painting, freezing it solid before prying the painting open with his inhuman strength. Although the Fat Lady couldn't speak, they knew she would not hesitate to let them back in at any time.

Stepping in a dark room, covered in the lavish reds and golds of the House colors, the suffocating warmth was what greeted them first. A cheery fire was crackling away in the massive fireplace, the tongues of fire licking their way slowly across the wooden logs. It was exceedingly dark, which Hyerin didn't mind at all, due to the fact her zanpakutou's nature was darkness and shadow.

It was just unbearably _hot_.

Toshiro hated it. Hyerin simply disliked it.

They quickly made their way to the dormitories, going separate directions. Thankfully, the air as you proceeded to go upwards did get considerably cooler, it was still warm though. Hyerin found her dorm first, a number of beds were in the rather long room. Her bed was, thankfully, next to the largest window. She walked over to her bed, which she saw her trunk at the foot of, and threw the windows open, relishing in the cool autumnal breeze.

She also noticed a hell butterfly sitting on her bed, accompanied by two long silver boxes. She reached for the first and opened it, a wide grin stretching out over her beautiful features. Her wands had arrived.

The first was a long black wand, silver swirls line the bottom. The wood was smooth to the touch and rather cold to the skin actually. The seconds wand was the opposite of the first, a silver base coat with black swirls around the handle. The silver was clearly for regular use while the black was for the use of her Hollow.

The second box she picked up and shunpoed to Toshiro's dorm. She stopped right outside the door. She could hear bickering going on inside. Raising her small fist, she gave three quick, sharp knocks.

Toshiro answered it immediately.

She handed him the box and smiled at him brightly.

"Wands are here," She chirped, clearly in a good mood, immensely satisfied with her wands.

He nodded his thanks and closed the door.

Time to see what his wand was capable of.

~oOo~

The end! Whoo, that was a long chapter, the longest I've written in a while! Anyways, this was more a filler than anything else. If you have any requests, don't be afraid to review! I'll take all suggestions, ideas or pairings, and I may just incorporate them somehow, depending on how it'll help the basic story plot I have in mind~

Until the next chapter!

Ja Ne!

SimplyFalling211 a.k.a Julie(:


	5. And So The Work Begins

Hey Everyone! Sad to say this is almost strictly a filler chapter. Almost nothing happens in it besides some research, but research is always boring. Anyhow, I've begun working on the next chapter, which will reveal Hyerin's first encounter with a Dementor, not to mention the actual beginnings of class and Toshiro's and Hyerin's joint Kido and Zanjutsu classes! This was rather hurriedly written, so I'm sorry for any grammatical mistakes! -bows-

But aside from all that, I'm going back to Korea for the rest of summer! -squeals in happiness- I'm going back home and I CAN'T WAIT. Though I don't know what my updating status will be there since I'm staying with my grandmother and she's really old and doesn't care for internet. -sweat drops- So It just depends on who the neighbors are, so cross your fingers that someone has an internet connection that I can mooch off of, haha. Anyways, have fun reading, like I said, this really is a rather uneventful chapter with nothing going on. I expect the next chapter to be up sometime before I leave, which will be in six days. If not, then it'll definitely be up within my first week of my stay in Korea. Have fun, my lovelies!

Disclaimer: I'm sure you read enough of these. I don't own this stuff, blah, blah, blah.

**Chapter 5: And So The Work Begins.**

Harry and Ron were both in a heated argument about some sort of flying sport, something called Quidditch. Toshiro didn't even bother to learn what it meant, he just wanted them both to shut up.

"_Urusai_," He growled from his spot near the door, it was a wonder they never saw him step through the door; His silver head of hair was unmistakable. With a deft flick of his wrist, the pulled open the lid of the box Hyerin had just given him.

Inside was a long wand, somewhere around 13 inches and made of a wood so brilliantly bright, the only thing that could rival the pure color was Winter's first snow. The entire length of the wand had a basecoat that was a pearly white, the handle of the wand itself sort of had a claw like figure and was wrapped completely in a teal silken material that matched his eyes down to a pigment. He noted that the claw had an uncanny resemblance to a dragon's talon.

The two fourth years paid him no heed, going on with their argument and ignoring him completely. A nerve jumped at the back of his head, throbbing in agitation, the temperature of the room getting steadily cooler until it was undeniably cold.

"I said, **Shut. Up.** Bakudo Number One, Sai," Toshiro growled, waving his hand in one smooth motion. It was rather hysterical when both the red head and the irritating dark haired youth suddenly had themselves bound by invisible ropes of energy and were kneeling before the transfer.

"What the- Blimey, what the hell'd you do to us?" Ron was yelling now, his ears were now matching his hair and it was not a very flattering sight. Toshiro sighed before heading to his bed, leaving the two kneeling on the floor by the door. Throwing open the windows that his bed sat under, he glanced outside, estimating they were somewhere on the fourth floor or so.

"Hey! Let us go from your weird Japanese Witch Magic!" Ron was trying to break the grip with what brute strength he had. The only known human to ever break a Bakudo was the Substitute Shinigami, Kurosaki Ichigo.

"Get used to it, it's what you'll learn in my class. This is only the first level, there are still 49 more to go," Toshiro replied coldly, lying about how many Bakudos there really were. It would only complicate things should the Headmaster find out they had much more powerful 'magic' techniques than just binding.

"This is just the first level?" Harry stopped his writhing to stare up at the turned back of the white haired male, "So…As you go higher, do the traps get stronger?"

"Bindings, not traps," Toshiro corrected, waving a hand absentmindedly in their direction and hearing them thud to the floor onto their stomachs as he released them.

"But do they get stronger?" Harry repeated his question, somewhat awestruck that only a first level spell left him completely helpless to the teal eyed man.

"They do," Toshiro replied curtly, running a tired hand through his spiky locks. He slid his wand into the sleeve of his robe and turned to give the two teens an appraising stare.

"Will you be joining the class?" It was a simple question; Sweet, simple and to the point. For some odd reason, the question seemed to catch the two boys off guard.

"Bloody-! Hell yes I'm joining! Harry, if you could bind You-Know-Who then you could easily kill him!" Ron leaped up from his position on the ground, his voice rising in pitch as his excitement grew. Harry on the other hand looked rather apprehensive and weary about the entire situation. Something about the two new transfers really set him off.

"What's the other class you and, uh, Professor Choi will teach?" Toshiro smirked lightly, just thinking how pitiful all the teens will be. The only ones he could actually see that were capable of even wielding a sword were possibly Slytherins. It was a known fact that purebloods did teach their kids in the way of sword handling. It was clear, however, that Ron did not get educated in that field.

"The other class is Combat Training and Battle Strategies, sword wielding if you didn't comprehend that," He answered back coolly, turning his gaze back outside to the grounds of the school.

"Y-you know how to wield a sword?" Ron had his eyes wide open in fascination, staring at the silver haired male in awe.

"Is it not obvious? Why else would I be teaching a class involving sword work if I wasn't a master? Though I've never seen Hyerin in a…dual, yet, I expect she would be just as good as I am, possibly even of a higher degree," Toshiro had to choose his words carefully; Dual didn't sound as harsh as a full scale battle, did it? He could pass it off as a formal dual easily enough.

"Do you have a sword? Like, do you own one? Is it sitting in your trunk? Can I see it?" Ron fired off questions one after another, eager to learn more about holding a weapon. Toshiro suspected he would be the worst of the bunch.

"Did the train incident not warn you I severely dislike it when others fire off continuous question? To answer them: I do, Why did you repeat your first question?, No, and Most certainly not, even if I did have it on my person," Toshiro answered, sparing a glance at the annoying red head. Hyourinmaru laughed inside his head.

"_**It seems you have your work cut out for you, master,"**_ The dragon's voice echoed in his mind. Toshiro chose to not answer and steadily ignore his partner. Leaving the windows open, Toshiro walked to the edge of his bed and opened his trunk. The twelfth division did a decent job on rearranging the storage proportions of this case. Although the trunk looked normal on the outside, it was actually rather deep on the inside, stretching something around 7 feet deep, a decent amount of space to hold all the school supplies, his robes, and his paperwork rather comfortably. Hyourinmaru was safely tucked away along the front side, where you would not be able to see him at first glance. He was positive that the red headed idiot would never get to Hyourinmaru, after all, it's not like his sword really would willingly go along with it.

Lifting out a reasonable stack of paperwork and his brushes, he sat on his bed, back leaning against the headboard and began the methodical process of reading and signing, something he'd grown accustom to in his captaincy.

He was quick to tune out the two teens rather annoying chatter and concentrated on his smooth brush strokes. The brush he was using was his favorite, he knew Matsumoto and Hinamori had put together some money to buy the set, it was an expensive set he'd been wanting for some while but never had the time to go and purchase.

He was in the middle of signing a document approving the usage of yet another abandoned courtyard for training when a small flare of reiastu caught his attention. It was Hyerin's. He was somewhat relieved he'd taken the time to actually memorize her signature.

Setting his brush down, he paused to organize his papers and stacked them neatly on his bed. He glanced at the two teens, now in a deep conversation about the Potions Professor. If Toshiro was right, it was the man with the long robes, the greasy hair, and the hooked nose.

Silently opening the door, he paused once more, making sure to put a weak barrier around his paperwork. It would do him no good if the two decided to nose through his work.

Toshiro proceeded down the stone stairs, beginning to feel slightly nauseous when the heat hit him full force. Shaking his head in an attempt to clear the feeling, he silently walked down the rest of the stairs, striding into the common room with the practiced ease of a warrior.

Sitting in a plush armchair, her hair curled beautifully over one slender shoulder, was Hyerin. She was nursing a small cup of steaming liquid. Even from being several feet away, he could smell the beautiful floral notes of a jasmine hinted green tea. Not his favorite, but still enjoyable.

With a wave of her dainty hand, Hyerin motioned him forward, her eyes staring into the leaping flames that sat in the massive fireplace. He grimaced slightly at the thought of actually being deliberately close to a source of heat.

"I can see you dislike this stifling heat. Hm. Leap forth, Shadow Fire." At once the fire spluttered once before a color of the darkest of blues began to slowly consume the flickering orange and red tongues of heat. The difference in temperature was extraordinary. The heat was being lowered drastically while the lighting remained the same, strangely enough.

Toshiro nodded his appreciation, grabbing the warm cup and sipping the still hot liquid. The flavor of the leaves played along his tongue in a delightful manner; The regular green tea leaves slightly enhanced with the soft floral outbursts of the jasmine.

They watched the dark, flickering flames for a while before Hyerin spoke up.

"I just got done at the library, I looked up these soul sucking beasts called Dementors. Not something you would want to run into," She sighed, pulling out a thick piece of parchment. The writing was small and neat, the brush strokes didn't look hurried despite the amount of time that had passed between when he'd seen her last and now.

Setting his cup down, he picked up the parchment, his teal eyes scanning quickly over the information.

_Dementors are among the foulest and most horrendous creatures to walk this earth. Main Attributes are almost solely characterized by their dark, ragged cloaks and their unique way of gliding. It is common knowledge that when a Dementor is nearby, a chill permeates the air and all the happiness you've felt in your lifetime will be sucked away. Prior to the Sentience Act of 1811 that defined a 'being' as 'any creature that has a basic knowledge to understand common laws of the magical community and bears the responsibility in assisting to create and shape said laws.' Dementors are extremely dangerous and are to be avoided at any cost. They possess the highest possible general danger warning in all humanoid creatures of the magical community. The only known defense is the Patronus Charm. The whereabouts of these creatures have yet to be identified…_

_Dementors also have a most fearsome weapon, the soul stealing kiss. During this act, the Dementor will forcibly remove the person's sole reason for living as well as their sense of self. All emotions associated with this image of self will also be forcibly removed. Contrary to popular belief, the Dementor will actually not suck out the victim's soul, for there is no possible way for the soul to be ripped from its mooring with any amount of mortal power or energy, but rather, it sucks away the soul's only power source, thus leaving the soul in a desolate state of despair. So, in a sense, the Dementor's kiss does in fact leave the victim's body an empty husk, for the soul now has nothing to live off of and will then continue to rot away._

Toshiro finished reading the passage and glanced up at Hyerin. She met his gaze coolly and took a sip of her warm tea.

"Not only do they have these horrific powers, so to speak, but the English Ministry of Magic employs them as prison guards. There is no known record of a Dementor actually being killed, but should we ever face one, it is mine. You are merely a soul wrapped in an artificial body, I, however, am not. I am not dead, nor alive, so it cannot harm me. Should I ever face one, I can simply use my authority over its existence and banish it. Most soul based beings will know when there is someone of much higher caliber and authority over them is present, it would be hard not to realize it with my enormous amount of reiatsu." Hyerin murmured softly, setting her cool tea on the table. Toshiro was about to reply when they heard the loud footsteps of others walking down the stairs.

With a flick of her wrist, the flames were once more a brilliant palette of oranges, reds, and yellows. The heat being generated by the magical fire was astounding, it ate away at the comfortable cool air until it once more was a burning intense heat.

Ron and Harry emerged from the mouth of the staircase. They glanced at each other once before turning back to their would be classmates and professors.

"Were we interrupting something?" Ron was grinning deviously now, his eyebrows wiggling suggestively. Toshiro almost rolled his eyes. Almost.

"Not in the least, just talking about the day's events," Hyerin cut through smoothly, running her slender fingers through the silky locks of her hair. Ron didn't seem to believe that very much, but Harry nudged him with a shoulder and they hastily walked away from the steely eyed pair. They crawled through the portrait hole without a glance back. Hyerin didn't look at Toshiro, merely standing up from her seat.

"I promised Father that when I started this mission, I would take it all out. One of us trails after Potter, the other will make a round around the grounds to check for any sign of danger. It seems that Potter will keep us on our toes for a while." She sighed, closing her eyes briefly and changing silently into soul form. Toshiro popped a soul pill and swallowed, relishing in the feeling of his gigai bonds falling away from him. Freedom at last.

"Can you separate from your zanpakutou?" Hyerin turned to him, her gleaming blade strapped across her back. Toshiro shook his head.

"There was a bout of that back in Seireitei a while back. We could not control them so they've been under lock and key and under watchful eye ever since," Toshiro informed. Hyerin nodded, her expression slightly thoughtful.

"I can be away from Volum for extended periods of time. I'll patrol since we can both be going at the same time and cover more ground. Not to mention I am a very efficient fighter, be it sword arts or not, and I can hold my ground without his assistance," Hyerin replied, closing her eyes again. Her black blade shimmered for a brief second before it disappeared in a wisp of a smoky substance.

Standing next to her was a tall male, easily taller than the Substitute Shinigami, Kurosaki Ichigo, who was renowned for his height and fighting abilities, not to mention his rash behavior. The male had dark eyes, his spiky black hair was almost deliberately put in a disarray but it suited the male well. He bore an almost striking resemblance to Lieutenant Hisagi, two long lines stretched down the man's face and his skin was tanned, like he'd been out training in the blazing sun for days.

The athletic, muscular build on the man was almost worthy of envy, but it mattered not on appearance, but rather stamina and endurance, which Toshiro himself could account for. He may have been small, but he sure as hell put up a fight if need be.

"Volum, this is Toshiro. Recognize him. Aid him if he ever needs it and by all means, do not harm him," Hyerin ordered the man. The tall male looked at him for a moment before turning to speak to his mistress.

"Of course, Hyerin-sama," The man bowed his head in acknowledgement to her words. She offered him a small smile.

"We must depart immediately, Volum, cover the grounds beginning from the Astronomy Tower and work clockwise. I'll begin working from the opposite end and going counterclockwise. Then, we should cover the entirety of the scholl grounds in a few moments." Hyerin ordered, her hair beginning to flutter in a breeze Toshiro couldn't see. With another glance in his direction, both wielder and blade vanished in a soft swirl of the black vapor like substance.

Knowing her element, Toshiro had no doubt that the substance was in fact a burst of shadows.

Turning, he ordered the gigai to go back to the room and pretend to sleep. Make no noise at all. Saluting the snowy haired captain, the gigai ambled off serenely, trudging up the stairs in a sort of daze.

Without having to even really concentrate, the sea of ribbons surrounded him. Some were a pale pink, which he thought to be the first years, seeing as they were so untrained. Gradually the shades became darker, with the exceptions of two blood red strands, which he knew immediately were himself and Hyerin. Upon closer inspection, Hyerin's ribbon was a myriad of different colors. The base red was still there, however it was intertwined with three other colors. The first was a pure black, which he assumed was her materialized blade. The second strand was a black and gold plaited strand, which he knew for a fact was an indicator of Hollow Powers. Kurosaki had the same distinguished mark on his if you looked close enough. The third was a strand of brilliant green. It shimmered and twisted in the invisible breeze. He made a note to question about it later.

He found Potter's strand and Weasley's strand, which was noticeably paler than Potter's, and grabbed them. The other strands gradually faded away and Toshiro sighed to himself, beginning to walk towards the exit, letting the ribbon lead him to their owners.

Staring off a year long mission trip with babysitting had not been planned.

At least Hyerin was doing something productive. He could sense her moving rapidly along the school's perimeters, the speed at which she moved was unsurpassed. She was almost using the dark shadows that lined the school as portals. He could sense her weaving in and out of the dimensional plane. He would feel her, before she disappeared, only to reappear just a millisecond later at a location that far from her previous. Not even Yoruichi could move than fast and she was known as the Step Goddess.

Turning a deserted corner, he could spot the retreating form of his object of babysitting. Keeping a close clamp down on his reiatsu, he began to follow, being careful that should he be seen, he could throw up a weak kido barrier that would distort the air around him and bring the attention somewhere else whilst he shunpoed to a different location.

Toshiro grimaced.

If there was one thing he hated more than Matsumoto not doing her paperwork, it was having to watch over others who couldn't take care of themselves. At least Matsumoto could fight.

~oOo~

End!

Like I said like five million times in the above note, this chapter almost pained me to write it was so boring. But the next one will be full of a fight between a Goddess and a Dementor, the classes begin, Snape begins to question the transfer's true identity? Oh! Don't forget the ever impending chaos of teaching wizards some kido!


	6. Calm Before The Storm

I'm back! I actually left early for Korea and am currently at my grandmother's place, mooching off her neighbor's internet who I so kindly asked to latch onto. She was nice about it, she said I was welcome to use it. I was extremely happy, except for the fact that her internet is So. Slow. You would never believe how long it takes to even open up my browser, it's terrible. Oh well, since I'm using someone else's internet, I should be a little more tolerant, ne?

This chapter wasn't as long as I hoped for it to be, I did edit the Canon a tiddle bit, but hopefully nothing to serious you guys actually question me about it. I tried making it as inconspicuous as possible. Oh! It's my first time writing in POV format, I was recently introduced to it, I usually read stories and books written in third person, but I'll go ahead and give it my best! Also, I decided to split this chapter, for the sake of time. I would say about a third of what I want it in here, so I would only assume the next installment would be longer. A lot longer, haha.

_**I don't own bullshit.**_

"_Talking" - Speaking in Japanese. Between characters or between them and their Zanpakutous. I was too lazy to set up any other types of fonts and whatnot. Sorry!_

Without further ado, Enjoy my lovelies!

P.S: I need a beta, anyone willing?

P.P.S: I know I'm still not good at English, so please help me out if you see something wrong! I'll submit a revised version if my mistake was dire!

**Chapter 6: Calm Before the Storm**

**Hyerin's POV**

The wind was cool as it threaded it's gentle fingers through my silky tresses; it felt refreshing after being in that terribly hot common room. The loose sleeves of my shihakusho billowed madly as I ran, darting in and out of the shadows.

Being a controller of the shadows themselves, I was able to use them at my will. I could step into one and emerge into what was almost a different dimension from the plane I'd been on previously. It was actually just a sort of pocket dimension, you could say, just on a grander scale. Shadows act like portals to me, I can weave me way through them with an efficiency that most people didn't possess.

I've been doing this for centuries, it came so naturally to me. To step into one shadow, select my next location and step out of the shadow closest to it. This ability was one of my more versatile ones. See, shadows were everywhere. In broad daylight, whether it be in a city or in a sandy desert, or at night, where I reign as the supreme ruler and nothing can defy me.

I slipped into the shadow that was just next to the half giant's cabin. Nothing amiss here. I could track where Volum was, he was nearing the entrance to the school itself. He gave me a the all clear on his half.

Nodding to myself, I continued on, running effortlessly, the moon shining brightly against my back. A blissful wave of peacefulness rushed through me. This was perfect. The grounds were silent, the mission was going on a decent path. No real hardships have been encountered. Toshiro and I have been getting along just fine. Despite his usual icy stoic mask, he was rather easy to get along with. You do your work, he does his, no problem.

Just as I passing the field where they play the silly sport on brooms, a sort of chill began to permeate the air. The cold began to eat away at the air and I found myself having slight trouble breathing. Strange, yet also very alarming. Bringing a small hand to my face, I let the shadows concentrate and a thin mask formed over my pale skin, filtering out any sort of particle or energy that surrounded me.

A sudden spike of a strange reiatsu pricked at my senses. I stopped running completely; Up until the strange reiatsu reading, I'd been doing a slight jog. What was it? No spirit energy I have ever encountered has felt like that. It was cold and felt of death, painful, torturous death. It was unnatural, like a Shinigami without their Zanpakutou, or perhaps a Hollow without its mask. I paused in my thoughts, simply deciding to take care of it.

Volum was on the other side of the grounds, but I can summon him if need be. I was an expert at all forms of Kido, I can fight without a weapon, and if worst comes to worst, I still have Cero. My cero was unique though, not only is it a concentrated amount of my spirit energy, but enfolded into the writhing mass of power, are tremendous amounts of condensed shadows. It was the ultimate weapon, and you would only hope that you never became in range of one of them. Your soul would be gone in an instant and you would die.

They always said that too much of one thing is bad for you.

Shadows are dangerous to any creature, which is why I'm one of the more powerful first generation Divine Children. If you want a prolonged torture cycle, all you need is a drop of liquid shadow. A single drop will be enough to eat away at a soul's chain 20 times slower than normal. Shadows are almost like an acid, whatever it touches, it will burn with a fury of the likes you hope never to experience.

When I kill someone, I am sure that their soul is so far damaged and unrecognizable, it will not be able to reincarnate again.

I also do not kill without reason, and it must be a reason that would help others greatly should it be eliminated.

I cracked the knuckles in my hand, readying myself for a fight should it ever come down to it. It was not long before I caught my first glimpse of the strange creatures.

They were tall, black cloaks flapping madly in the wind as they soared through the icy air. Storm clouds had begun to gather in the overcast skies. A tiny shiver made it's way down my spine as the figures came closer.

Dementors.

So they DO effect me to some extent. A rather alarming idea.

Tensing my muscles slightly, I did a quick creature count in my head. 4 of those creepy, unnatural beasts. I wouldn't think they would be too hard to control. Judging from the reiatsu composition, they are a dark creature, which means they fall under my domain of control. Piece of cake.

They sucked a soul's power source, which of course would lead to a painful death. If I remember correctly, the ripping of the soul's energy will then cause unwanted memories to resurface. Interesting choice of torture. Not the cleanest, but certainly one that was effective nonetheless.

The one closest to me, it was to my far right, it reached out a hand, as if it would try to touch me. I grimaced in distaste. The skin was grey and held a sickly sheen that sort of… was just ew. It looked like someone had thrown a dead body into a body of water and left it there to rot for several years. Not pleasant at all.

The smell was what hit me second after their strange reiatsu. They smelled absolutely horrid like someone really did let a body rot in water. If I could smell it through my mask, then I can't be sure what my reaction would be if I had to face them up close and personal.

Judging by their swerving and diving away from me, like they would get close only to glide away, I could only figure they knew that I was more powerful than them. Releasing the iron bound lock I kept on my reiatsu, my energy flared out in dangerous, powerful waves.

The reaction was instantaneous. The dementors immediately backed away, soaring far out of my reach where they sort of huddled together like a gaggle of gossiping old women. I scoffed openly.

My thoughts were along the lines of using my cero before I thought about the damage it would cause the grounds. Even if I could fix the damage in no time, the explosion would be deafeningly loud and would most certainly bring someone's attention onto my location. Not something I particularly desired at the moment.

Volum was on the other side, patiently waiting for me. I could tell he was worried, the release of my energy alerted him and he was pacing now. The only reason he could not materialize himself near me was because of the seal I have placed on him. He was a rather… unruly blade when I first got him so I placed an unbreakable seal of noble blood on him to keep him from materializing himself in sword form or humanoid form of his own free will. Only when I summon him can he change forms.

No sword work, No Cero.

Kido it is then.

Bringing my hand in front of me, I slowly poured energy into the palm of my hand, readying myself to fire off my spell of choice.

"Hado 73, Soren Sokatsui!" No sooner had the words left my lips did the two twin jets of blue energy, mingled in with my own black energy for more power, erupt forth. I watched with a guarded look as the energy grew ever closer to my targets.

The dementors broke away from each other, soaring out in different directions. Muttering a small curse, I brought my hand forward and engulfed my spell in shadows, almost like a shell. Guiding my hands to the closest one, I released the casing of shadows and letting the spell fire out at the foul creature at alarming speeds.

I saw the tiny spark of the tell tale sign of another force battling with my spell the nanosecond before my Hado obliterated it. I saw the strange greenish-yellow spark. It was definitely the work of someone else. The spirit energy didn't correlate correctly with that of the dementors themselves.

Someone else was behind this.

Either someone knew what I was and was trying to test my power levels, or they were simply trying to overwhelm me. Either way, neither would work. I'm a Goddess, I can kill anything and everything I possibly need to. Not only that but I have a control of a person's mind. It comes in the package of the Divine Powers that all First Generation Divine Children get. Nothing special. I can just tweak a few thoughts here and there and Poof! It's like they never experienced the releasing of my power.

I decided to look into it later and I absentmindedly guided my spell to obliterate the other three. Just as it came in contact with my second target, something strange happened. The Dementor reached out and willingly touched the blue energy.

Alarmed, I pulled back, attempting to reign in my energy but it was too late. I saw the Dementor literally suck up my spell. Appalled, shocked, and just a little worried, I had no idea what the hell just happened.

If I could destroy the first one, how did the second one… drink my spell?

Without a second thought, I powered up a cero in my hand. It wasn't at full power, but it would be enough to pack a bit of a punch. Make it a big punch, My cero is generally much more powerful that those of the visored category. At just a quarter of its strength, my cero was still strong enough to level cities at a time.

Narrowing my ball of energy even more, I cut it down to a tiny beam, nothing more than about a twelfth of it's original power. Should be enough. Raising my hand, I locked my eyes on the flying dementors. I could see that they hoped to confuse me with their tricky flying, but my eyes and hair trigger reflexes were far too sharp for that silly trick.

Raising my hand, palm facing out, I let go of the cero, the beam shooting forth at a speed that was too fast for even the dementors to evade.

In a single deft motion, I wiped out the rest of the unnatural beasts, watching as the charred remains of the last one fell to the earth that was damp with the constant drizzle that had started up not too long ago.

I hadn't even broken a sweat yet, though my heart rate did jump a bit higher than normal. I released the remaining energy of my cero up into the clouds, watching it disappear before heading to the charred remains.

Letting a concentrated amount of my reiatsu form into a spear of sorts, I knelt down and cautiously prodded the smoking corpse. Grimacing, I poked the hood back, fighting viciously not to vomit all over my new set of data about these unnatural beasts.

The skin was now sort of crispy from the energy I fired at it. It was smoking and still burning slightly in some areas. The face was long and bony, the skeleton sticking out in sharp relief to the cooked skin.

Taking in the facial details of these creatures, I could tell they did not rely on sight as their visual aid. The sockets where the eyes should have been were completely hollowed out. All I could see were the dead nerves that were left at the bottom of the holes.

Taking my phone out, I gave a quick message to Yama-jii to tell him I'll be sending over remains for the Twelfth Division to look at. I also told him to get Urahara Kisuke on the job as well, the remains seemed like they would need a lot of researching and dissecting. Judging by the copse itself, I also sent in that the corpse had a rapid decomposition rate.

With a small wave of my hand, I boxed up the fragile remains in a cloak of shadows and sent it on its way to Soul Society through a small Senkaimon I conjured. Standing, I let the spear of shadows evaporate and I turned, my thoughts racing as I went to meet up with my beloved blade whom I was sure by now had worn a ditch into the ground with his pacing.

The rest of the grounds on my side were uneventful as I turned to face east and caught sight of Volum's dark head of spiky hair. I lightly jogged over to him, my haori swaying casually as I met up with him, taking my place at his right where I usually am when he's materialized.

"_Mistress! What happened? I felt your reiatsu release and you released a Cero1 What the hell happened?" _His eyes were dark with confusion and worry. I shook my head slightly.

"Just know that I found some interesting information and when I settle for meditation tonight, you'll know what happened. Now return to your sword form," I sighed, waiting as his form glowed brightly after he gave me one final look. Though, to my surprise, he didn't change into his sword form. Instead the glowing particles that made up him dispersed before coming to attach to my left ring finger. Blinking I held my hand up and looked at it.

It was a simple band of silver, like a wedding band almost except of the miniscule engraving of a howling wolf that was set into the metal. The wolf was extremely detailed and I had to admit, the ring was gorgeous. The eyes on the wolf were two tiny pieces of bloodstone, the green was so dark it was almost black and the reddish streaks were a lovely accent. The carving was clearly done by hand, each individual length of hair that lined the wolf was meticulously done. By whom I don't know, but I do know that Urahara Kisuke did a good job on picking out a ring to convert my blade to.

I cast my mind out in search of anyone who could've been passing by.

I felt one, just on the outskirts of my mind map of the grounds. It was the grizzled old man, the one with the strange eyes and wooden leg. Moody, I think his name was. The reiatsu still didn't match up to the body and I began to think that he was actually in a gigai. Perhaps it was a different ghost or spirit who chose to take on a wrong false body? I pondered it for a moment before storing it away for later dissection.

Turning my attention back to the new teacher, I could feel him getting closer. With a tiny flare of energy, I was in his mind. Immediately, I could tell you my theory was partially right. This man did not fit in with this body at all, another reason for me to not trust him. I paused momentarily to peer through his thoughts, my mental notepad writing down things of interest including something called a Polyjuice Potion, a man named Barty Crouch, and a Portkey in a maze.

The man must have figured out that someone was peering through his mind and attempted to put a barrier up. I growled lowly in irritation before waving the barrier aside and doing what I originally planned to do. I erased all thought process within the last 30 minutes and muddled the break between what he did remember and what he would not.

With a single look back at his thoughts, I knocked him out and left his body on the grounds of the school.

My job finished, I let my mind loose again, casting about for the icy reiatsu of Toshiro. I found him a short ways away in the library, sitting in the dusty rafters while watching Potter, Granger, and Weasely peer through books.

Questionable indeed. Turning into my shadow form, I sped through the hallways at unimaginable speeds and came to a halt just outside the library doors. A quickly muttered kido spell let me put up a barrier to hide my reiatsu and appearance and I walked through the doors.

Spotting the silver haired head of my partner almost immediately upon my entrance, I also caught sight of the Golden Trio looking through a mountain of books, looking for something.

Leaping up onto the rafters with a near silent swish of fabric, I landed neatly in a crouch right next to Toshiro who was idly spinning his wand between his long fingers.

Okay, pause. It should be illegal to look as good as he did in that moment. His eyes were icy and stone hard as he watched what was unfolding below him. His unruly hair contrasted greatly to the dim lighting of the library and his long, lean, muscular build stretched out languidly on one of the oak beams. That shit should be illegal, he looked so delicious right then. I can assure you that I barely avoided drooling all over myself at the image of him so laid back, yet so on guard at the same time.

My thoughts screeched to a halt. What the fuck just went through my mind? I can acknowledge that his attractiveness was an extreme plus on his side, but to go into detail? This was a mission, and it had to stay on that level at all costs. I can't afford to mix business with pleasure, it never works out in my favor and I don't wish to relive heartbreak again.

Resuming with the scene, I watched the trio below us even as I felt his eyes flicker up to meet my figure. He couldn't have been startled, I gave a decent amount of warning before I came in. A small flare of reiatsu should have been enough, and if he wasn't watching out for my arrival, well, too bad.

He caught my eye and I looked at him fully, a questioning look in my eyes.

"_They've been attempting to look up Kido and Bakudo for the last hour, I've erased all the information they could have found except for the basics. What it is and how it can be used. That is all I've let them find and it's amusing watching them get frustrated over finding so little," _He spoke quietly, his deep, rich baritone spoke volumes. A shiver raced down my spine as he spoke, goosebumps beginning to dot my skin.

"_Potter has a most interesting map, it tracks where a person is anywhere on the grounds. The incantation to activate it is 'I solemnly swear I am up to no good.' and the ending incantation is 'Mischief Managed.' They were tracing you and were talking rapidly, questioning how you were moving so fast. I cleared their thoughts with a dose of Memory Modifying powder," _He held up the rabbit head candy dispenser that he'd filled with the substance. I nodded my thanks and looked down to watch the teenagers again before I could start drooling at his sheer appearance. Argh! Working with hot guys can be so frustrating yet so pleasurable at the same time! Curse you Yama-jii!

I could see the map he was talking about, it was spread out alongside a cloak made of some sort of silvery, shiny material. It must have some degree of magic in it, I could sense a weak amount of magic residing in the material. Hm, interesting indeed.

"…There is nothing else in these books, Mione! We've looked through them all and nothing other than what that weird Ki-Dow stuff is has showed up. We've only caught a single sentence about the other magic, that Back-you-doe stuff Hitsugilia used on me and Harry! Can we just give up and go to bed?" The red head was aggravated with his friend but the female firmly ignored him and plowed through more books, meanwhile Toshiro's hand glowed a soft blue as he erased what was necessary.

I smiled slightly before helping him out, using my own energy and control of matter itself to erase all the details they've yet to uncover in the enormous pile of books. I was surprised at how much I had to erase, these books were rather resourceful on Kido, though only through the basics. What it was, its history, its uses, and how to use it. Still, it was a lot more than I thought I would find.

After clearing out everything, I gave a simple nod to Toshiro and silently told him I was heading back to the Gryffindor rooms. He nodded in return, his eyes going back to watching the three teens. Hermione was in my room, so I would be able to know when she was back and I could peer through her mind tonight to erase any thoughts that might lead her to identify us.

Speaking of mind readings, I thought about the Dark Arts teacher. His reiatsu and gigai just didn't match up, anyone could tell you that. I made a mental note to look up the Polyjuice potion, the man named Barty Crouch, and what the hell a Portkey was.

Shunpoing to the common room was easy, the Fat lady saw me and opened up almost immediately. I could see fear written in her eyes and I almost laughed. All we did was freeze her temporarily and she was that afraid of us? Pitiful.

I leaped up the staircase, seeing as no one was in the common room to actually see me jump 12 yards across a room with the utmost ease, and traveled up to my dorm room which I shared with Granger and three other girls I had yet to meet.

Settling down onto my bed, under the big bay window, of course, I closed my eyes and sank into a meditative state of mind.

A final sigh escaped my lips as I plunged myself into my inner world, completely prepared to explain everything to Volum in great detail, not leaving anything out at all.

It was clear I was getting no sleep tonight.

~oOo~

End! A lot longer than I'd hoped for but not enough action in it. Anyways, I was hardpressed for time and I am in DIRE NEED of a BETA! Whoever is willing, please tell me how I should give you my chapters to revise and what not. During my month long trip, I'm positive that the updates are gonna be a mess because of my lack of time, so I'm sorry! The next update will hopefully be up soon, I'm trying for by the end of this coming week, but I don't know. I have a lot of things I need to do, such as visit my grandfather's grave to pay my respects, and also visit relatives in the countryside. So, super sorry if I don't meet the dead line I've set up! -bows- I hope you guys understand!

Until next time!

Ja Ne!


	7. Who Let the Dogs Out?

Hello Everyone! I'm back again, and I did decide to postpone the other half of the chapter I intended to because my friend pointed out the fact that they would need training grounds and then she pointed out how Toshiro still didn't have his ring, and she asked about the corpse and how I would get the report to the main and yea. So this is a filler, though it is extremely long. Oh well, more reading fun for you, my lovelies! -smiles-

Quick question, I was thinking about including the Winter War in here, do you think I should keep Gin alive? I happen to like his character a lot and think him and Matsumoto make an absolutely adorable couple. (Though I can't stand HitsuHina OR Hitsugaya/Karin, ugh, don't even get me started on my dislike on them…They just don't mesh well. Blech.) So when you review, put your input on that topic, and maybe suggest other couples? I'm still working my way through Bleach currently and I haven't gotten to the actual fight at the end, but I'm looking forward to it! Give me all suggestions you have! I'm free to them all!

And of course I don't _**bullshit**_, so why do I need to keep putting this up here? It's a hassle.

Enjoy reading!

P.S: I still need a Beta… ASAP.

"_Talking_" - Talking in the inner world.

"Talking" - English

"_Talking_" - Japanese, or other foreign language.

:_Talking: _- Hell Butterfly messages.

"**Talking**" - Hollow Speaking

**Chapter 6: Who Let the Dogs Out?**

**Hyerin's POV**

_"__Mistress, Will you be explaining what the hell happened?__" _Volum was pacing back and forth, his massive paws thudding against the soft earth underfoot. My inner world was a city of shadows, where perpetual darkness ruled supreme. I was currently leaning against one of my powerhouses, the building itself was humming with energy that has been stored up for centuries in my mind.

It was a rather useful trick. Over the years, I had certain days where I would personally drain all my reiatsu down to the bare minimum to stay alive and push it all into the far recesses of my inner world. These buildings which I had reinforced with so many barriers were literally created of energy themselves. It took many centuries to build up all this stored reiatsu. My energy bank was massive, a sea of unbridled, unadulterated power.

_I encountered Dementors, the supposed most feared creature of the wizarding community. It removes a soul's energy source, therefore taking the victim's sense of self and leaves the body an empty husk. I found that they affected me, though not by much. Even so, it is still an alarming idea that they could cause such an effect on a being such as myself.__"_ I replied coolly, allowing my memories to project outwards so that Volum could see exactly what I saw and felt.

_"__As you can see, Kido worked rather effectively the first time I used it, upon impact, it obliterated the creature. However, notice right here__,"_ I zoomed into the moment I saw the spark of another person's reiatsu attempt to fight against my own, _"__Someone else was trying to interfere. That or it was a previously prepared protection charm that was extremely weak. In any case, the caster of the barrier had counted on the Dementor itself to render the victim into a helpless state with its unique ability__."_

I replayed the scene several times, memorizing the exact pattern of the reiatsu. It was extremely weak, hardly fit to even be an infant of a Shinigami. Clearly, the user was new to this art of death and was not properly educated on this subject.

Volum was sitting on his haunches stoically, his sleek tail curled neatly over his front paws in an almost feline like manner. The long guard hairs that surrounded his thickly muscled neck were bristled slightly.

"_Do you know of any such being that would have qualms against your stay at this school as the resident protector_?" His deep baritone was cold and unforgiving. Volum never took lightly to the fact of someone wanting to go against my jurisdiction. Being the Zanpakutou of a Goddess, I couldn't really blame him. I was raised with an air of authority and dignity since I could walk, Volum has been with me for several centuries. He disliked anyone who went against anything I said. It was a trait most Zanpakutou carried when their wielders were of authoritarian descent.

"_I have my own theories_," I commented, letting the current memory fade only to be replaced with the first entrance of the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. When the lightening threw the man's features into sharp relief, I put the memory into slow motion, letting Volum memorize every scar and feature on the teacher's face.

"_Mad Eye Moody, you've seen his name in my thoughts. I made a quick note that when I was inside his mind to erase traces of my power release, the energy that was running through that body, did not match the body itself, leading me to believe that the man has taken on a false gigai. However_," I began walking to the projection, letting a shadow spear form in my grasp, "_I found a most unique piece of evidence. A man named Barty Crouch was repeated several times in his mind, along with thoughts of drinking some type of sludgy liquid known as a Polyjuice Potion. I have yet to look up how either of these relate to this man, but I do know that this potion allows the drinker to take on a different form if they have some sort of component of the form they wish to take on. A shape shifting potion, if you will_," I talked, twirling the spear between my fingers like a baton.

"_Mistress, are you implying that this man is not who he seems_?" Volum seemed slightly confused. He'd seen many strange things in his lifetime, but he was very new to the concept of magic. When he was not materialized next to me, he was going through the massive amount of information that was in the pill I'd swallowed. That is where I found the information of the Polyjuice Potion.

"_Correct, my first hint was the way the nerve receptors of this slightly altered gigai did not correspond to the reiatsu currents. The second hint was the way that this man's reiatsu felt somehow warped, like he just wasn't right, or well at the time of my observation. His reiatsu, though very weak, was tainted and corrupt, not a good sign at all._" I mused, letting the memory continue to play itself out. When it was finished, I let it fade into oblivion

"_Mistress, do you wish for me to patrol the grounds while you rest, then? Updates will constantly be sent in and you will be alerted of anything useful_." Volum rumbled softly, his tail tip flicking in a slightly agitated manner. He never did like patrols, it was his least favored thing to do.

"_It would be most appreciated if you could keep an eye out. Speaking of which, where is Hyemi? I'm surprised she hasn't raised hell yet_," I chuckled softly, searching quietly for my Hollow based counterpart.

**"I'm right here, mistress,"** Another female stepped forward in a swirl of shadow. She was almost an exact replica of myself, as most Hollow counterparts are, only with different color schemes.

Her waist length hair was a stunning silver; the silky strands fluttered in soft waves around her. Black and gold eyes were gleaming in the shadowy atmosphere, the slit like pupils gave her a feline-esque appearance. The inch long fangs that poke out from her upper lip didn't really help that fact either. Her skin was a pale, snowy white and a long strip of fur was slung over one shoulder. The fur was proof of what my true Hollowfied form was.

I become a massive, bone armor covered wolf. As much as I do hate to admit it, my Hollow form was a bit… excessively large. From shoulder to front paw, I was somewhere between 13 and 15 meters tall, I hadn't checked in a while, I may still be growing. From nose to tail tip, I was a staggering 35 meters long. This was all without the add on of extremely thick, heavy armor. Don't even get me started with how much more the armor actually puts in.

"_Good, you know that I have temporarily suspended your powers because you're always so rash and headstrong. The only one I left was Cero, and even that has been toned down to a sixth of its original power. I want you to assist Volum in constant patrols around the school, the students shouldn't see you and the only other person I would think capable of even catching a glimpse of either of you is Toshiro. Even then, I know you're both good at evasion and I want you to stay out of trouble and stay out of sight_." I instructed my Hollow counterpart. Hyemi lifted a single, silvery eyebrow, gesturing to the sword strapped to her slender back.

**"And what of Raksha?" **Her voice was slightly two toned, not as pronounced as when I let her have control but it was still there.

"_She can act as another set of eye for me, less stress on myself as well as the both of you. Take turns on patrolling the area, I want no more than two of you out at a time and that should only be at night. During the day, myself and Toshiro will be up and about so only one of you will need to alert us of danger and to watch our backs. Should I become unavailable to receive an urgent message, your next choice to contact Toshiro himself. I will explain to him later what we are planning. If neither of us are available for urgent information, contact Yama-jii through Hell Butterflies or go to Soul Society to speak to him. That will be our basic layout and if questions come up, contact me_." I instructed, looking at the both of them in the eye, my voice radiating authority and power. They both nodded, Hyemi laying a reassuring hand on her own sword, whose sheath was a brilliant shade of white and was practically thrumming with distaste. I always did forget that my Zanpakutou is never alone.

Having a Zanpakutou that has authority over others can get confusing.

Unlike most Hollow and Shinigami relations, Hyemi and I had different blades. Hers was Raksha, literally translating to 'beautiful death'. Her Zanpakutou was the counterpart of my Zanpakutou, Volum.

In simpler terms, our blades were, more or less, married to each other. They were mates, an alpha male to his alpha female.

Where there are alphas, you know there are subordinates.

The relationship was always slightly confusing. My Hollow had the wife of my own blade and then there was the fact that our swords ruled over another population of wolves when releasing Shikai. It was sort of like a family of sentient beings in our control. A Pack. That is the form of our Shikai, a pack of monstrous, powerful wolves created from the Shadows of Hell, and they were all independent from the other.

When I had first received Volum as a gift, since he was not born of my soul seeing as, duh, I'm not alive or dead and therefore don't have one, I knew that he was powerful. I didn't necessarily control an element, so to speak. Yes, my domain of control stretched out over Shadows, but night was my true world of reign. Because I was not an elemental wielder, but rather a controller of time in its own sense, I had the opportunity to create and train my own little… minions, if you will.

The Gods or Goddesses who can control a segment of time itself need more than just themselves and one other to patrol their domain of control, after all, time occurs in ever part of the world, including the different planes of dimensions where Shinigami might rule or where Hell may be involved. The answer to that problem, founded by a friend of mine who controlled Twilight, the hours just before night ruled, was to simply create your own fighters. It was rather similar to ruling and training a squad or division in the Gotei 13, I suspected, because each being was independent of the others and had a mind of their own. There were ranks among most of these 'Zanpakutou Families' due to the fact most were of a descent where there has always been a hierarchy in place.

My own was the Hellish shadow wolf, the wolf was the creature of Hell, just as much as the dragons rule the true Heavens and the mighty Taurus ruled the fertile soils of Earth. A symbol if you will. These were all animals who lived in massive packs or herds, or maybe in hoards.

Rather simple way of classifying where each animal sort of went to. Anything pure and majestic, they ruled over Heaven, though Dragons were royalty up there. The animals who are commonly associated with dark intent and corrupt nature were usually found being treated like nobles in Hell. Volum was the current leader, seeing as he was the alpha wolf, but of course that was a story for another day. Strength and intelligence were valued by the Taurus and those who have their wits about them and have the mind to do it, those are who the Taurus value and keep.

"_Any questions? Volum, give Hyemi the rundown if she didn't catch all of it_," I ordered him. Knowing the pair of them, Hyemi was the one who had been sorting through the fucking library I swallowed while he came here to receive orders and question me. I was relieved they worked well together, according to some, however, their Hollow counterparts and Zanpakutou fought each other like two lions over a strip of meat.

**"If that's it, I'm going back to reading on why dragon blood is so valued in healing potions,"** Hyemi replied quietly, vanishing as quickly as she'd come in a soft swish of shadows.

Volum nodded once before following after my doppelganger into the section of my inner world which housed the millions upon millions of facts that were in the little pill.

Sighing softly to myself, I began to make my way back to reality, my senses coming back to me in a rush of sounds and smells. My body clock estimated I'd been meditating for somewhere around 2 hours and that someone was close, extremely close.

Snapping my eyes open, I came face to face with Granger.

Who, for some unknown reason, was watching me meditate.

The distance she was away from my face was far too close.

Far, Far too close for comfort.

"Can I help you?" I stated coldly, apparently surprising Granger as she squeaked slightly and toppled backwards. She caught herself, rather ungracefully, I must say, but she managed to pull herself together. She took a calming breath before looking me straight in the eye.

"I was just wondering how you could be meditating during this?" She gestured to the three other girls who were talking and giggling unabashedly about how handsome a certain silver haired, teal eyed professor was. If this is what was going on in here, I would love to hear what the boy's dormitories were like.

"It takes practice to meditate in a noisy atmosphere, but if it can be done before most of the racket begins, the person may then choose to wake upon will," I answered smoothly, looking past Granger to study the three girls. They didn't look too smart, so I'm not surprised. I sort of hope they don't attend the class, but if my suspicions are right, and they usually are, they'll be there to ogle my aloof companion.

"Oh. I was also wondering, as a Professor and a certified Master of these foreign arts, could you explain to me what they are?" There it goes, she thinks to try to wheedle out some extra information. I'm sure she hopes to find new information. We can feed it to her slowly, and I'm absolutely positive she'll pester Toshiro as well, that or the other two will. I was grateful I had the brightest and most sane of the bunch. With his low tolerance, I can only imagine what the other two will get from Toshiro.

"Kido is a certain type of wandless magic that most Asian wizards and witches are commonly associated with. However, only a select few are actually capable of using it. Bakudo, which is what myself and Professor Hitsugaya will be teaching, is the category of Kido in which the caster of the spell uses their own energy to bind their opponent and render them helpless. However, the energy used in these arts is not typical energy, but rather spiritual energy." I replied coolly, watching carefully to see what her reaction was. It was clear that she was just soaking all this information in, her eyes were bright with curiosity and excitement. I decided to lie and play around a bit with the true definition. After all, I'm not saying that Kido is a specific art known only to Soul Reapers and the Kido Corps.

"Bakudo, as well as Kido in general, was made specifically to target ghosts and other creatures who are usually not of the mundane nature." I finished, watching her take in all this information. I was sure she would be racing to meet with Potter and the red head to lead off this extra information. I almost laughed at what I imagined how Toshiro's side of the questioning could be going. They would be lucky not to freeze their butts off tonight.

"I also heard from Harry that these spells are numbered, but from what I understand, the numbering of spells has long since been forgone for centuries," She brought it up rather casually, not plunging head first into it, but simply gliding into the subject. Smart girl. Too bad I'm not letting anything else out.

"You will learn about that in class should you choose to join," I answered evasively, turning my head to end the conversation.

However, perched calmly on the sill of my window was a Hell Butterfly. Its wings were fluttering calmly, waiting quietly to inform me of something. A tiny segment of blue on its wing let me know it was carrying something.

Holding out a finger, I let the insect crawl onto it and the antennae of the tiny creature made contact with my skin. It didn't go into my skin, like most people would think. The antennae sort of acted like receptors, they gave you what you needed and took back what you gave in reply.

_:This is a message for High Ranking Officer Choi,:_ I waited for the insect to continue, suddenly hearing the voice of the shop keeper whom designed my ring and who should have been busy dissecting the corpse I'd sent. I watched Granger out of the corner of my eye, her eyes were wide as she saw the little messenger. Of course she couldn't hear it, but that was none of her concern.

_:I have completed the ring that Captain Hitsugaya will be wearing to hide Hyourinmaru's true form. However, I could not get this to him seeing as Head Captain Yamamoto has told me to send all equipment to you. Along with the ring, I have sent in a partially completed research report on the Dementor corpse. Myself and Mayuri-san are still busy dissecting this strangely intriguing creature. The finished report will be sent to you upon immediate notice:_

I nodded at the message, sending my message of thanks to Urahara. With another finger, I lightly tapped the insect's head and a thin line appeared, stretching from its head to the tips of its outstretched wings. The line began to spread open quickly enough, I would assume it was as fast as those cracks in the sky where the Arrancar come out of from what Toshiro has told me.

Reaching into the pocket dimension, I pulled out a small box, which I assumed was the ring, and a thick folder of the results. All the writing was written cleverly in the form of Kanji that has not been in use for many millennia. No translating spell would be able to tell what the language was and therefore could not translate it.

"W…What is that?" I heard Granger behind me. Resisting the urge to roll my eyes heavenward, I turned to answer her. Honestly though, does this girl have a never ending curiosity about other people's lives?

"A butterfly, clearly. It's what our academy uses instead of those noisy, pesky birds you have here. They are much cleaner, they can carry more, and no one but the receiver of the message or the gift will be able to get them. In other words, they don't defecate, They're quiet, and they cannot be intercepted. Simple, easy, and very efficient." I replied, almost bored as I let the butterfly loose outside of my large bay window.

"I understand _that_," Granger seemed to somehow imply an eye roll through her words, "But I was talking about that hole that came across the butterfly, the one you took those things out of," She motioned to the small box and the thick sheaf of papers crammed into the folder.

"Don't ask me how it works, I just know that was the result of physics and magic having a fling and thus having a child." I sighed, cracking the folder open just enough so I could peer through its contents. It was extremely detailed, but the writing was sort of sloppy. Typical man handwriting.

"But… But that has never been heard of, I just…. I just don't understand," She trailed off, her eyes sort of hopeful as she looked at me. I almost growled, almost being the key word.

"Clearly your ministry is so far behind they have yet to catch to what the Asian ministries are designing. This is merely a messenger, if this is what our version of your owl is, can you imagine how much more efficient everything else we've created is?" I did happen to let a tiny sliver of Hyemi slip through into my voice. I couldn't help it, I was tired and aggravated and I really did not want another person meddling in my fucking life. The two toned pitch of my voice seemed to startle her, but she bid her goodnights to me before heading to her own bed. Kami, she will be the most annoying student, I swear.

I waited impatiently as the other girls headed off to their respective beds, more than once I received a dirty glare in my direction, but it was easy to ignore them. I've gotten envious glared from just about every grade level so far and it hasn't even been my first day. For my looks or for the fact that I had a decent connection to the 'dreamy' Professor 'Hitsugilia' I did not know. Ha, wait until Toshiro finds out what his name has been butchered to.

When I was sure that everyone was asleep, even Granger, I slipped into soul form and picked up the box containing the ring. Ugh, it felt like the roles had switched even though Yama-jii did inform me that I would receive all equipment. Still, it felt awkward that the female was giving the male the ring. It felt unbelievably strange, honestly.

Jumping out of my window to stand in mid air, I noted quietly that Hyemi was on patrol already, I could feel her dark reiatsu swirl faintly in the distance. I hardly even noticed that she'd managed to slip out of our inner world without my noticing. Good Girl, just make sure you don't raise Hell.

Finding the boy's dormitories was easy enough, I could practically feel the icy reiatsu rippling away from the room Toshiro was staying in. Ha, the questioning indeed did not go smoothly.

Locating his bed was easier than finding the room. Of course he would get the bed next to the window, and that made my job shitloads easier. I almost laughed before I flared my reiatsu. I waited a heartbeat before I saw his sharp features thrown into sharp relief by the moonlight. Icy teal eyes looked at me questioningly. He reached for something behind him and popped it into his mouth. He swallowed the soul pill and his spirit form lurched forward, letting his gigai fall onto the bed. He said something to it before he turned to face me, stepping through the window easily.

_"Here," _I sighed, tossing him the small box containing the ring he would wear. He looked at it curiously before opening it, pulling out a silver band that was similar to mine except it was indeed a bit thicker in width. A dragon carving was etched into the metal and curved around the entirety of the ring.

He had a half second's notice before Hyourinmaru started glowing softly. His hand whipped backwards, touching the blade's hilt before the molecules of the sword separated, forming a tiny ring of light. The glowing particles sank into the ring quickly, letting a bluish tinge light the dragon up, the sapphire eyes glowing brilliantly before it faded.

_"Clearly, it's the disguised form of our swords," _I said quietly, holding up my left hand for him to see the silver band that was attached to my ring finger. He nodded before sliding the ring onto his ring finger. That will surely be the gossip for a while. The handsome Professor has a ring that look suspiciously like a wedding band on. Ha. Wait until all the girls need shoulders to cry on. Jeez, heartbreak so early in the year. I smiled at the thought. He quirked an eyebrow in my direction.

"_What is it? I dislike the look on your face," _His sharp voice snapped me out of my trance. I grinned at him.

"_You're all that's been going on in the girl's dormitories, Professor Hit-su-gil-ia_." I pronounced his butchered name slowly, getting a vein throbbing in agitation on his forehead.

"_If only they were in my division…" _He grumbled under his breath, the single stubborn lock of his silver hair flowing gently in the cool, nighttime breeze. I laughed at him before he gave me a sharp glare.

"_Urusai, Your name has been repeated so many times in the male dormitories that I was certain I would rip someone's head off if they spoke it one more time. Especially the red head. The weasel has a rather… interesting fixation on you_," He smirked at me smugly. I almost groaned out in frustration, resisting the urge to face palm the fuck out of myself at this thought.

"_The school year hasn't even started and they've already started this on us. Honestly. Can you imagine what the classes will be like? Oh, and don't forget to watch out for love potions. Kami knows they'll be abundant for a while_." I growled into the still air. He nodded his agreement. His face suddenly turning eastward where I could feel Hyemi running towards us.

"_Hollow_," He murmured curtly. It wasn't until I was doubled over laughing at his suddenly serious reaction did he turn to look at me.

"_That's Hyemi, she's my Hollow. I've worked out a patrol system between us and Volum, her, and her sword. Two of them at night, one of them and us during the day. Easy enough, yes_?" I asked just as Hyemi flashed next to me, her head inclined in a slight bow.

"**Mistress, the grounds are clear**," She toned, her voice had that strange quality to it and it made a slight shiver run up my spine. I understand she's me in a different sense, but still, imagining myself speaking like that gave me the creeps.

"_Good girl, you're clear_," I replied before placing a hand to her pale forehead. My hand glowed softly before she blurred back into my body. Volum welcomed her in my mind and she greeted him monotonously. They all but disappeared just seconds later. I don't doubt that they're back in the library, categorizing everything and memorizing every fact in case I need the information on the spot.

"See you in the morning," I intoned to the cool air before preparing to shunpo back to my window, turning around at the last second to catch him looking at me. He turned his head quickly to avert my gaze and stepped back into the boy's dorms. He's so cute. I chuckled at the thought, of course, he will never find out about my thoughts on his appearance, but I know that I'm at least much better than all these weaklings. And they think that fighting a lowly dark wizard is tough, they've clearly never met Aizen.

In the Halls of Origin, my home, we keep tabs on every battle between the non mundane beings. We've known about Aizen and his thoughts of betrayal long before he actually did it. He was so predictable. Of course it would be the nicest of the captains to turn his back on the others, it did surprise me when Ichimaru decided to follow him, his intentions were good, that much I can see. The coming war will be brutal, I mused in my thoughts before stepping back through my window and changing back into mortal form.

I sighed. The following days are going to be hell on earth. I need to be sure that all the food that I touch comes from a reliable source. That, or make a prevention potion and drink it daily. I'll make sure to come up with something that both Toshiro and I can take.

With that thought, I leaned back against my headboard and closed my eyes, expanding a thin layer of net-like reiatsu around me to alert me if anything was moving within the room. I made sure that everything was in order before closing my eyes, drifting off into a light, dreamless sleep.

~oOo~

**Toshiro's POV**

When I had glanced at the clock the night before, by the end of the impromptu meeting Hyerin had outside my window, it was one in the morning. I fell into a light sleep and woke up just three hours later when the skies were still dark. I slipped a soul pill into my mouth and swallowed, lurching away from the confines easily.

Turning to face my body, I told it to stay here and not move a muscle. It nodded before falling back onto the surprisingly cool sheets. I stepped through the window, letting the dew drenched breeze ruffle through my hair. Stretching myself, I turned to the Forbidden Forest. I would start there, looking for a suitable training area was my top priority.

Flash stepping from my complete standstill, I half flash stepped and half ran, coming to a halt at the tree line. Peering over the dense growth of trees, my sharp eyes searched for a large area, somewhat devoid of trees. It didn't have to be completely cleared, a few trees could become target practice. Finding none near the fringes of the dark forest, I flashed forwards, stopping about two miles in. Here, the trees were much more thinned out, but they were sturdy. I found an area just short of a massive beech tree, it was a good size, much better than I could have hoped.

It was about seventy meters wide and ninety long, a few stray trees dotted the area but other than a handful of trees, the ground was a lush green and the grass was drenched in the early morning dew. Perfect. Stepping onto the moist earth, I held my left hand up and willed Hyourinmaru from his disguised form. In a single second, the ring glowed brightly before shaping rapidly into the heavy blade of my faithful companion. I gave him a few test swipes.

"_Sit Upon the Frozen Heavens, Hyourinmaru_!" I called out the basic command. Ice whirled up from the hilt of Hyourinmaru before spewing upwards and forming into the familiar shape of the Chinese ice dragon. With a quick slash to my left, the eighty foot tall oak was incased in a thick layer of ice that sparkled softly as streaks of pink slashed through the sky.

Smiling slightly at the freedom that came with releasing your partner out with you, I didn't notice my companion leaning against the trunk of the tall beech that sat off to the side.

"_You weren't even gonna tell me that you found a suitable area to train? How mean of you_," I glanced up sharply, casting out my senses and still I could not feel her reiatsu signature. She grinned at me like a Cheshire cat.

"_I'm a Goddess, remember? I have the ability to cloak my reiatsu so well, you can't even tell its there_," She giggled slightly before leaping off the branch she'd been on. I did notice that her sword was already sitting snugly on her back.

"_Your Shikai is incredibly beautiful, absolutely stunning_," She murmured, staring thoughtfully at Hyourinmaru's blue tinged blade. I could feel said dragon rumbling appreciatively in the back of my mind. Egotistical, overgrown lizard.

"_You told me that I would soon be able to see your released form. Now that you've followed me to my training grounds, show me_," I replied, ignoring the dragon in me to get cocky and tell everyone that I had the most powerful ice based Zanpakutou in history. She shrugged her shoulders in a '_Why not_?' sort of manner before unsheathing her blade.

The sword was so utterly black, it was the color of a moonless sky, and it glowed softly in the dawn light in a lethal looking manner. She held it in front of her, slashing through the air horizontally once.

"_Stalk the Shadows, Rule the Night, Dovohol Volum_!" I watched in slight awe as shadows swirled dangerously around the blade before…

I waited anxiously, but nothing leaped forth from the blades' deadly tip.

Then I noticed them.

Massive shapes were moving among the shadows in my peripheral vision, from what I could tell, they surround the entirety of the clearing.

"_It is obvious that my Zanpakutou is a wolf, and if you know anything about animal behavior, you will know that_," She paused and flicked her blade, smiling slightly as several enormously muscular canines stepped into the growing light, "_Wolves hunt in pack._"

There was no doubt about it, I was completely floored.

Not only by the sheer power that radiated from each wolf, but that fact that they all had reiatsu signatures, and they were all _different_.

I did a quick count, my shock growing further. I counted seventeen wolves. That was the equivalent to seventeen powerful enemies in a battle, especially because all the wolves were independent of the others. Hyerin giggled.

"_Oh, this is only a small segment, you should see the released form when I have Hyemi and no Power seal_," She sighed before a wolf that the size of a small house padded forward. Just from the intelligent eyes, I knew this was the true form of the male that had left to patrol with Hyerin just last night. This was no ordinary wolf, this was the Alpha.

"_With Hyemi's input on wolves, I can control several hundred to several thousand depending on how many shadows are available for regeneration purposes_," She spoke, her blade spinning between her slender fingers. I noted that she seemed to do that a lot.

"_Incredible, I would love to see you in a fight_," I replied, sheathing Hyourinmaru across my back. Glancing at the sky, I knew it was getting later than I thought. I motioned for her to follow me back to the castle.

"_Come, breakfast will be starting soon and I wish to take a shower before heading down,_" She nodded at my words before I watched all the wolves disappear with a soft swish.

Sheathing her sword, I flash stepped away, knowing that she would be close behind. I almost groaned at the thought of having to face breakfast. If what Hyerin said was true, I would need to look out for Love Potions and random gifts, not that I would take anything unless it was from a source I trusted, but even so. My exotically good looks seem to always garner attention, no matter where I am. Its such a hassle.

With a final look back at Hyerin, who was already heading away from me, I stepped through my window, intent on getting a good, cold shower before starting my day.

I can't afford to let my unwanted fan girls down. Sigh.

~oOo~

The End! I don't really have much to say other than Read and Review! And don't be afraid to correct my mistakes, I'm still working hard on my studies! Until Next time!

Ja Ne!


	8. The First Day

**Chapter 8: The First Day**

Not much to say, actually, I'm just not in the mood to write anything up here…

**I don't own Bullshit**, you should ALL know this by now. Sigh, if I did, I would keep all the hot guys in Bleach shirtless, ALL THE DAMN TIME. I'm just a big pervert, so don't mind me at all~

P.S: This was sort of hastily written, so it's probably grammatical errors GALORE. So, sorry! I still need a BETA, ARGH!

EpikalStorms: Who said she was gonna be more powerful than him? He's still a God himself, A God of Death, ne? I never intended for Hyerin to come across as more powerful than him, I was only explaining the properties of her zanpakutou and what not. I plan for Toshiro to be more, ah, prominent in the actual Tournament itself. Sorry if she does stand out to much for you~

Anyways, Onwards!~

**Toshiro's POV**

"Professor Hitsugilia! I made you some cookies, please acc-!"

"I apologize, but I do not really like sweets, however, I thank you for your thoughtfulness," I sighed in irritation, taking the box nonetheless and placing it onto the towering pile I had accumulated upon my arrival for breakfast. I glanced at Hyerin who was being drowned in attention by several boys, of all grades actually. She smiled at them and took their gifts graciously, setting them on the table and seats surrounding her. Her smile was genuine as she accepted each gift.

"Hey, uhm, we're going to Hogsmeade soon, right Professor? So, uh, would you like to grab a butterbeer with me?" A tall boy I thought was from Ravenclaw was questioning her. She gave him an apologetic smile.

"I'm so sorry, Malcolm, but I can't. I have a staff meeting that weekend and then I must go over lesson plans with Professor Hitsugaya," She batted her long lashes at him and Malcolm immediately backed down, saying that maybe they could have a drink another time. She smiled and moved on to her other, ah, suitors. I raised an eyebrow at her, I was positive she saw it, she sort of wrinkled her nose a bit before turning to face the rest of her hoards of admirers.

"Professor! Would you like to go on a walk with me by the lake?" I barely gave the poor girl a glance but I answered her anyways.

"I'm sorry, but I have many lesson plans to go over, I apologize sincerely." I replied in a bored, monotonous voice. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the girl wander back to her seat, her friends crowding around her even as she held her head down sadly. Why do they insist on pursuing me when I clearly have no intention of courting any of them? Silly weaklings.

"Why so frosty?" I never even saw Hyerin sidle up to me, her massive amount of gifts still sitting where she was last. She turned just in time to decline an offer to a party, saying that should she catch them, she would have to tell the headmaster if alcohol was involved. She warned him lightly before the male sauntered off.

"I have no intention of courting them, so why would I pay any attention to pointless offers?" I responded, flicking my wand at the tower of goods and miniaturizing them. I stored the handful of goods into my messenger bag that had all the lesson plans I was talking about. I needed to talk to Hyerin about outlining each lesson, what would happen at each lesson and the emergency procedures should anything go wrong.

"Awh, don't be so mean to them, they're only being nice to, ah, 'welcome' the new Professors," She let out a tinkling laugh. It was odd, I'd never seen her so happy. She was always cool and collected, knew when to control the situation and when not to intervene. I cocked my head slightly, looking at her strangely. I heard someone start gushing how handsome I looked with my hair falling just so. Hyourinmaru was rumbling in the back of my mind. I looked into her eyes and knew immediately what was going on.

Instead of the bright, sterling silver they usually were, these eyes were a gleaming blue, so blue that they very closely matched my own pigment of teal.

"Caught on yet?" It was Hyerin's voice and body that was going through these actions, but it wasn't her. I nodded minutely.

"Mistress is on patrol, she gave me the job to collect all the gifts she knew were waiting for her. I'm her chosen Mod Soul, my name is Lunaea." She responded brightly, just before declining another invitation from a seventh year Hufflepuff.

"Lunaea… That's not Japanese and not of a language I've heard of," I replied, my interest piquing slightly. The mod soul grinned at me.

"Ooh! Smart AND Handsome! Mistress is lucky!" She giggled to herself slightly before responding, "You're right, Lunaea is of the ancient language, what we speak at home. It means 'Dream Stare'."

I could understand the reasoning for her name, her azure gaze captivated all the males who came up to talk to her. They left with deep, crimson blushes glowing hotly upon their cheeks. I snorted softly before taking a sip of green tea. I noticed some other girls peering into the pots that had appeared over all the tables. Some were able to pour themselves a cup and actually drink it. Others merely sniffed it and backed away.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of white and black and turned instinctively towards the source of motion.

Hyerin was standing near the door, searching for something with her eyes. Her silver gaze landed on her body and she bounded forwards towards it with graceful steps.

She stepped into her body so quickly and subtly, I only caught a glimpse of Hyerin politely lifting a hand to cough into. Through the cracks of her hand, I saw a small pale blue orb fall from her lips.

She turned to me and blinked, the last traces of Lunaea's blue bleeding away from her silver eyes. I raised an eyebrow.

"Seems we have quite the many suitors, ne?" She questioned, casting the reducing charm on her massive stack of gifts. Her eyes were searching the table for something in particular. Most of the food was gone, but there was still a few plates here and there for the late comers.

"They wouldn't happen to have an Americano, would they?" Sighing when she didn't find what she sought after, she snapped her fingers quickly and, with a loud pop, an impish creature was standing before us.

"Bubby at mistress' service!" The voice was almost unbearably high, the large, owl like eyes were sort of watery and the bat like ears were standing on end. What appeared to be a potato sack was the only source of clothing the creature wore. All in all, the creature, or house elf, I presume, was indeed a sight to see.

"Bubby, would you mind making me an Americano to go? And add two extra espresso shots," Hyerin instructed, the elf nodding enthusiastically before popping away back to the kitchens to make the drink.

"Why were you on patrol? I assumed one of the others you'd set up would take care of it," I raised my green tea up and took another sip of the hot liquid. The cups were enchanted to keep any liquid hot or cold without the usage of ice or thermoses. I would definitely need to import these back to Seireitei, they would be extremely popular. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose irately.

"I figured out that Hollow are attracted by the unnatural amount of spiritual energy that has congregated here at this school; Upon further inspection, the barriers that protect this school are not strong enough to keep even a Menos Grande out. There was a patch near the forest that was being inhabited by a number of Menos. I made quick work of them and kept on patrolling until I completed the circuit. Nothing else seemed out of place, but I'll go again later, most likely before dinner." She murmured, taking a piece of wheat toast and taking a bite out of it without even buttering it. The elf appeared with the drink she ordered just a second before the bell rang for the classes to begin. She glanced around idly, clearly wondering if any of her admirers picked up her schedule while she was away because Lunaea clearly didn't have it on her.

I pulled out the thick piece of parchment from my messenger bag and handed it to her. She offered a quick smile before turning her silvery gaze to quickly read through her schedule.

"Herbology…Care of Magical Creatures, doesn't the half giant teach that?" I nodded in confirmation before standing from my seat, opting to take my green tea with me. Hyerin grabbed her coffee and we both strolled calmly to the massive doors and out towards where Professor Sprout would be awaiting the class.

We were among the last to arrive, much to my dislike, but I was waiting to interrogate Hyerin at breakfast, so I had a liable reason. Casting my reiatsu out a bit, I figured out where the Menos grouping had been situated before Hyerin exterminated them. I almost groaned at the thought. I thought these wizards were capable of defending themselves? Clearly not if they can't even keep a damn Menos Grande out of their so called barriers.

We were calmly walking before pausing near the back where the Golden Trio were huddled up. Granger noticed us first, but I wouldn't have been surprised if she'd been passing on the information I was sure Hyerin fed to her. I answered none of the other idiots' questions last night.

"Pro-! I mean, Hitsugilia! And Choi!" At least she had the decency to call us by our last name, as is customary.

"Just Hyerin will be fine outside of class, or Sensei if you wish to be formal," Hyerin corrected her crisply before turning to face where Professor Sprout was going on about squeezing pus from some sort of brown blob like creature. At the explanation, one of the boys in my dorm, his name was Finnigan, cried out in dismay. Too bad, suck it up and get over it.

"Now put on your dragon hide gloves…" I just tuned the teacher out after that bit. My skin was harder than steel with the reiatsu armoring trick that I picked up from Kenpachi. He may be a reckless fool, but he did take a good precaution in creating this technique. As we popped the bubotubers, which I later found out to be just as disgusting as I thought it would be, I could see Potter almost crushing the creatures. He seemed tense during breakfast under my watchful eye, but I was still concerned if he was somehow going to be put in the tournament.

From what I understand, Dumbedore will be putting a barrier around the goblet and only those older than 17 may proceed to enter. Seeing as I was over a century in age, I should have no problem placing my name in, but I could simply pass it off as being a teacher at this school and a master back at the academy, which I technically was, considering I AM a captain.

Reading the boy's record, I found that it was almost as if danger was attracted to the boy, much like Kurosaki Ichigo, except he always tends to find danger. I had no doubt in my mind that he would wind up in this tournament, but it was merely the question of how he would do it.

I cast a glance at Hyerin who was squeezing the pus out of one bubo tuber and letting another male catch the yellowish-green like substance in a small container. Just seeing her cast a smile at the male gratefully perturbed me. It seemed as if she was getting along too well with the males here, she was preening under the attention.

I clenched my buobtuber just a little too harshly and the puss burst forth and shot across the small clearing and made a sickly splat on the ground. Thankfully, no one was in my aim, and I cleaned it up with a absentminded wave of my wand.

"This will keep Madam Pomfrey satisfied…" Again, I tuned out the teacher. I could already tell you that Herbology would be something I would not be very fond of. It seemed pointless, but then again, I was trained in mostly battle skills and strategies. It was merely a natural reaction. Besides, I was positive that as soon as all the information in that pill is organized in my mind, I'll have no need to continue on with this class, or any class for that matter. Attending these classes was merely for the sake of our disguise.

Just as the last cap was screwed on the last pint of the yellow liquid, a booming bell was sounded. I turned my head instinctively to the sound and just realized it was the signal to change classes. Has it been so long since I was last at the Academy that I've forgotten what a school bell is? That, or maybe my reflexes are extremely sensitive.

The Hufflepuffs were climbing the stone stairway in the direction of the Transfiguration classroom. I sighed quietly but turned in the opposite direction.

Let's just keep in mind that I don't do well with animals.

~oOo~

**Hyerin's POV**

Herbology was disgusting; my skin still reeked faintly of petrol, the smell that clung to the pus that I was squishing out of those gross, swollen, blobs they call creatures. I could stomach it just fine, it was simply a thought. All the other girls shied away from doing the task but I stepped up and took it without much complaint. After all, it's a lot less gruesome than shoving your sword through an opponent's stomach. Haa, I would LOVE to see any of these wimps actually try to battle anything for that matter.

Care of Magical Creatures was next, and while the Hufflepuffs were heading towards Transfiguration, I turned the opposite direction and walked calmly towards where the half giant's cabin stood. I took a sip from my deliciously cold Americano and relished slightly in the bitterly strong taste before one of the fourth year males came up and started a conversation.

"You didn't seem to back away from squeezing out the pus," It was more of a comment than anything else. I turned to face who the hell would decide to interrupt my moment of silence. I think his name was Dean Thomas, if I was correct. Mentally sighing, much to Volum's aggravation, I turned to answer him.

"I've dealt with much worse," Came my cool reply. I was in no mood to go on with these stupid, annoying flirtatious advances from all these males. Volum agreed with me, apparently my inner world was in a rainy state with my aggravation. Why it was raining, I had no idea, but Volum despised it when it rained.

"But, uh, I thought it was sort of cool for you to step right on up with all the guys and go ahead and take it without complaining. You don't see many girls who are willing to collect the pus from a swollen animal and not let out at least one cry of disgust," I heard him chuckle quietly. Rolling my eyes internally, I also thanked the Kami above that he wasn't as persistent as all the others. Ron Weasley especially gave me a hard time. Constant following, like a fucking puppy dog, and might I remind you, I have enough of that with Volum.

Thankfully, we managed to get to the cabin without further talking. Hagrid was standing in front of several wooden crates. With my heightened senses, I could distinctly smell the heavy scent of rotting fish and hear the sounds of something soft and hairless squirming around in the boxes. I wrinkled my nose in distaste.

"Mornin'!" Hagrid greeted the class boisterously. He seemed just as happy go lucky as he had during our first meeting where he nerely took my arm off.

"Be'er wait fer the Slytherins, they won' wan' ter miss this - Blast Ended Skrewts!" Hagrid seemed exceedingly happy at this point, almost like a father would be of his son if he'd brought home a good report card.

"Come again?" Ron Weasley questioned, his face clearly not comprehending what Hagrid had just said. THAT is why we would never make a good couple. I am intelligent, far above these wizards' standards in fact, and he, by some wizarding standards, just isn't competent.

"EW!" A girl that was staying in my dorm, by the name of Lavender Brown, if I'm not correct, squealed loudly before stumbling backwards away from the crates. I peered into one crate and faced exactly what I'd assumed I'd be facing. They were about half a foot long and were rather similar looking to a shell less lobster with their legs placed at the wrong joints. The smell was coming from their soft skin and a few would scoot forwards a few inches with a blast of smoke and a small 'phut'. Their skin was glistening with some sort of slime and there was no visible head on EITHER end of the animal.

"On'y jus' hatched," Hagrid boasted proudly, "so yeh'll be able ter raise em' yourselves! Thought we'd made a bit o' a project o' it!"

"And why, exactly, would we _want_ to raise them?" A cold voice interrupted the soft chattering of disgust that came from the majority of the class. I didn't say a word, merely turning to glance at the newcomers.

The Slytherins have arrives, the forefront of them, of course, being the little bastard I had the pleasure of meeting on the train. Draco Malfoy, is what I recalled his name to be. He was backed up by those massive, but stupid looking, bodyguards. What were their names? Crab and Gargoyle? Fitting names indeed. Hagrid had no response for the blunt statement of disgust.

"What do they _do_?" Malfoy questioned, or sneered, really. "What is the point of their _existence_?" A new voice cut into the conversation.

"I would think it obvious," My eyes widened fractionally when I recognized the cold, icy tone of my stoic companion. Malfoy sneered openly at him. I shook my head slightly. You just don't make that sort of face at your elder, especially when he's more than a century older than you AND he can whip your ass so far into the ground you won't even want to make the effort of climbing out of the you-shaped hole.

"Well, if it isn't the old _grandfather_ from the train," Malfoy cackled loudly at his own joke. I felt the temperature drop marginally.

"They have just as much of a right to exist as you do, so why, pray tell, are you questioning it? Would you question your own reasons for existing? I don't have evidence to prove that you have wondered why you exist." Toshiro's voice was cool and clipped. In a matter of a few statements, Toshiro had turned the conversation to reflect back upon Malfoy himself. It looked like he'd received a full on punch to the face from my father.

Malfoy's mouth opened and closed for several seconds before Granger cut in.

"Besides, Dragon blood is incredibly helpful in healing potions, but you wouldn't want to keep a dragon for a pet, would you?" She sounded smug. I paid no mind to it. I saw Toshiro's eyes perk up at the sound of the creature's name whom he has an authority over, but he said nothing.

"What would you know, grandfather? To question existence when I'm sure you haven't done so," Malfoy was back to being smug. Toshiro merely sighed and shook his head, causing the stubborn lock that draped over his pale forehead to fall over his left eye. I could hear several girls swoon at the sight.

"In fact, I have. Meditation is excellent for questions like this, and my own reason for existing, is to protect." I giggled slightly. If only the others around there knew simply how true that statement was. I knew, of course, but then again, that was also what I chose my reason to exist would be. I would protect and make sure my judgment over all issues would be on equal terms.

"Protect? What, in this world, would _you_ be capable of protecting _anyone_ from?" Malfoy sneered again. Kami, this boy simply does not know his limits.

"Wouldn't you would like to know?" The temperature now was below freezing. The girls shivered uncomfortable and had their arms crossed over their chests. The males had long since shoved their hands into their pockets in an attempt to stay warm. I merely stood stoically, not minding the cold in any way. I didn't even bother wearing a cloak for the morning classes. I assumed the temperature fluctuations was due to Malfoy persistent calling of petty nicknames.

"Now, now, no need ter be fightin' o'er some reason o' an'ther," Hagrid cautiously intervened between the ever calm Toshiro and the bristling Malfoy. Hagrid seemed nervous, but he did his job well enough. Class was boring after that incident, and besides one skrewt accidentally blasting one male, everything was calm enough, besides the tension that was still heavy in the air.

I picked up one skrewt that had somehow wriggled its way over to the edge of the crate. It squirmed and twisted in my grasp, its little legs flailing about in the cool air.

"_Enough_," I murmured softly, and almost immediately, the skrewt fell limp in my hands, going along with my movements in a docile manner.

Placing the disgusting creature back down into its crate, I turned and saw that the trio was looking at me. Raising an eyebrow in a silent question, I waited for one of them to confront me with whatever was on their mind.

"Uh, Professor? How did you make that skrewt go limp like that? I didn't even hear you say a spell," I rolled my eyes internally. Leave it to Ms. Hermione Granger to think that I uttered a spell to make the poor beast comply with my wishes.

"I simply told it that was Enough. I'm sure it recognized the authority in my voice," I was a little miffed. Was everything I do that bold and unusual? Hm, I may need to re-read that massive book on English traditions Father gave me about a century ago.

"Told it to?" It was Ron Weasley now, his jaw was sort of open. Not a very flattering pose indeed. It's even worse at meal times.

"Correct. Ah, that reminds me," I turned to face them completely, "Will you three be joining the Kido class?"

"I am Professor! I think it's so fascinating to learn about different types of mag-!" Granger had shot her hand up quickly, like an instinct reaction. With her apparently being the smartest witch of the generation, I wouldn't be surprised if it WAS an instinct for her.

"Bloody Hell Yes!" It was Ron now, his face was a very faint shade of rose. How…cute. The puppy dog has a crush. Though, if I'm not certain, Ms. Granger here does hold some degree of attraction for him. Bumbling fool he is, I don't see how.

"I'll give it a shot, it may even help me fight against… You-Know-Who." It was Harry Potter now. He seemed to slightly wince at the last word, assuming that I would have a reaction. It matters not to me, this war is not my own to meddle with, though if I wanted to, Toshiro or I could probably take down this Voldemort character with a few seated officers from any division. He didn't sound like a very hard opponent. I wonder if Zanpakutou can kill wizards? It's a theory I may want to test out soon, though I'm sure no one here would desire to be my guinea pig.

"Very well, the first class will be held two days' time, in one of the abandoned classrooms in the Astronomy Tower. It should not be hard to find," I replied softly, nodding to myself quietly. Getting them to join the class was easier than I thought. Just as I was completing my thought process, the boom bell to switch classes rang clear over the school grounds. It was actually time for the afternoon meal. I sighed and looked at my still full cup of coffee. Didn't even get a chance to finish my breakfast.

Humans just eat far, far too much.

~oOo~

Everyone took a seat at the Gryffindor table and I watched with mild interest as Granger sat down and immediately shoveled food onto her plate and into her mouth at extreme speeds.

"Er, this is your new stand on elf rights? To make yourself puke?" Ron questioned wearily, even as he helped himself to a large helping of roasted potatoes.

"No," Granger swallowed forcefully on her mouthful of sprouts, "I just need to get to the library."

I rolled my eyes at their banter and helped myself to a small grapefruit which was beautifully sliced the minute I touched it. I ate the fruit slowly, chewing thoughtfully.

"You eat like a bird," I turned to the source of the sort of deep voice. Harry was speaking to me.

"In Japan, the meals are very light and healthy, it's taking a while to adjust to this, er, rich, English food." I responded, not having enough time to form a more coherent response. Harry nodded before taking a big bite out of his pan seared pork chop.

"Have you always eaten like that? That grapefruit was hardly fit for a meal," I had to credit the poor guy on attempting a normal conversation, he was better than the rest of the incoherent stutters I've received.

"I've always eaten light, after all, how do you expect to be this tiny and weigh less than a hundred pounds if you eat heavily?" It was a rhetorical question in all honestly, but I felt better around Potter, I felt it wouldn't be so tense, which was what I was aiming for. Let him slowly warm up to me so it won't be such a shock that I'll be protecting him in the tournament. I have no idea about Toshiro however. He's as cold as ever. Polite, but still a bit frosty.

I saw Granger finish her meal at an amazing pace and she stood up, almost sprinting out of the Hall to head for the library. Will I be surprised if she goes back to try to look for more Kido? Absolutely not.

The bell tolled again and I stood, watching as Toshiro stood as well. He nodded and glanced over my shoulder. I nodded at his glance in the direction of the library. He shouldered his bag and headed off casually in the direction of the library. He would be able to catch whatever Granger was looking into fairly easily, he wasn't called a prodigy for nothing.

Personally, I would've put him in Stealth Forces. He was smart and his looks, I'm sure, would get him everywhere. Getting knowledge from women would especially be easy, just as its easy for me to lure men to do my bidding. Appearances really do matter.

I began to stroll towards the North Tower, where the Divination class would be held. I could hear Harry and Ron treading heavily behind me as we went up the tightly spiraled staircase. At the top of the stairs, I was quite surprised to find a circular trap door in the ceiling. Honestly?

The door fell open with astonishing speed and I narrowly avoided being greeted in the head with the wooden edge of the door. A face peered over the edge and it was one of the girls from my dorm. Lavender.

She giggled and a rope ladder fell forth. I watch, unimpressed, as Ron and Harry climbed the rope whilst swinging slight back and forth. I sighed before grabbing the rope and took two leaps, one from the first rung, the second from the fourth, and made my way into a dimly lit, scorching room.

It was burningly HOT in here. If I disliked the Gryffindor common room, then I HATED this. And, of course, Toshiro would, ah, not like it either.

And, Kami, the smells that filled my head was staggering. So much incense was burning it made my head feel light.

Low tables and plush armchairs took the place of regular desks and chairs. I headed for the back and threw a window open, taking a deep lungful of clean air before settling softly on the armchair closest to the window. I could feel Granger on the other side of the school, taking a class about Runes. Toshiro was headed this way, and quickly.

A woman, draped in so many shawls I didn't even know where to begin, and large glasses shut the door after the rest of the class poured in. A tiny ball of reiatsu was formed in my hand and I let it float outside the window. Out of sight of the other students, but enough that Toshiro would know to come through the window.

I could feel his course of direction change as he leaped out of a window and used shunpo. It was a mere ten seconds before I saw him settled next to me in another plush chair. Not a single hair was ruffled on his pretty, snowy little head. Nobody noticed his arrival, which was good.

He lifted a sleeve of his robe to cover his nose in disgust of the many scents. I snickered before opening the window wider and allowing more cool air to rush in. The teacher was rattling on about looking to the planets and fortune telling and what not. Sigh, this class seemed like it would be stupid. Absolutely useless.

"…You were born under the baleful watch of Saturn, my dear," I turned in annoyance as Professor Trelawney was talking to Harry. He seemed to be in a daze, much like I was. Toshiro was no better off, in fact, he was openly working on paperwork. His brush was making a soft swish with each smooth stroke. Captains never are far from their work it seems. Speaking of which, I would be receiving my own work soon.

I may be a Goddess, but controlling an element meant work, LOTS of it. Thankfully, Hyemi and Volum pitched in to help go through it faster, as I usually had more dire matters to focus on other than paperwork. I sighed, I had my work cut out for me.

This school year was already starting out bad. I had a number of suitors who will not leave me alone, I need to protect a wizard boy whom I thought could fend for himself, and I need to teach a class. Oh, and don't forget about the tournament. And let's definitely not forget about my super attractive partner. God dammit all.

And on top of all of that? I now have a headache. Wonderful. Fucking wonderful.

~oOo~

**Toshiro's POV**

Divinations… is the most pointless subject I have ever had to force myself to go through. I was never a fan of History, but at least you learn in that class. I leaped off from the floor of the classroom onto the main hallway with ease. The girls sighed softly at the smooth movement. I openly rolled my eyes.

Hyerin was by my side a second later, her jump from the classroom just as graceful. It wasn't a very high jump, ten feet at most and that was no problem.

We walked silently behind Ron and Harry, watching both of them quietly while immersed in our own thoughts. Suddenly, a voice called out. It was the blond from this morning, the ignorant, stupid boy who needs a lesson in respect.

"Weasley! Your dad is in the paper!" He was cackling madly before holding a slightly wrinkled up copy of the newspaper.

"Didn't even get his name right! It's like he's a total nonentity!" Malfoy crowed, laughing madly. I rolled my eyes. This boy, really, really does not know his limits. Even the nobles of Seireitei were much better than the rich that lived among the living.

"And there's a picture of your parents standing in front of your house, that is, if you could call it a house!" Everyone in the hall was turned to listen in on this. Weasley's head, neck, and ears were as brilliant a shade of crimson as his hair.

"Your mum could lose some weight, it would do her good," Malfoy sneered, waving the paper around to showcase the image.

"Get stuffed, Malfoy. Let's go, Ron." Harry urged, trying to lead Ron away from the scene.

They battled on for a while, it didn't matter to me.

"…Is his mum really that porky? Or is that just the picture?" Malfoy was laughing again.

"Yea? Well your mum constantly looks like she has dung under her nose! Is that her natural face, or is it the result of constantly being with you?" Harry growled, trying to put a little honor in the words of best friend.

"Don't you have a go at my mother, Potter."

"Then keep your trap shut." Harry retorted, turning around to guide Ron away.

BANG!

I whipped my left hand out and prepared to materialize Hyourinmaru. The ring was glowing before I heard the words and the dull thunk of wood on tile.

"NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE!"

Mad Eye Mooddy was clunking his way down the staircase, his wand out and pointed directly at a ferret that completely white.

"Did he get you?" Moody was waving his hand around, letting the ferret bounce hard onto the tile flooring. The sound of tiny claws scrabbling frantically at the tiles was heard loudly.

Harry replied with a negative response.

"LEAVE IT!" Moody roared at Crabbe, who'd made a move to pick up the ferret. I decided enough was enough. To damage one's honor and pride was a big price.

A silent flick of my wand and a loud SNAP later, Malfoy was crouched on the ground, his hair in a disheveled heap and his face a blushing crimson.

"WHO DID IT? WHO TURNED THE TRAITOROUS SCUMBAG BACK?" I stepped forwards.

"Transfiguration is never used as punishment. As a fellow Professor, I am sure of these rules, and thus, must put a stop to your act." I replied coldly, tucking my wand away. Moody pointed his wand at me.

"_Bakudo 81, Danku_." I muttered in Japanese softly glowing shield formed in front of me a second before some sort of purple tinged hex came my way. Hyerin was tense beside me, she had her left hand poised in what would be a beautiful sword stance, but there was no sword. The band on her finger, however, was glowing brightly. No one seemed to notice, though.

"Think you can avoid me with your foreign magic?" Moody was smirking now. His reiatsu was warped and it didn't feel right, I strengthened my barrier. He fired several more spells, some I recognized, and others I didn't.

"Enough!" I growled out, my patience waning. It wasn't enough that Matsumoto was sending more paperwork, but I had my, ah, fans to tend with. Not to mention protecting this school. My patience was wearing extremely thin with this man. Moody growled something before grabbing Malfoy's arm and dragging him in the direction of the dungeons.

"…I want to savor that image," I heard Ron mutter softly, his eyes closing in bliss. I sighed and glanced at Hyerin, who'd once again, regained her stoic demeanor.

I was mildly surprised that I'd managed to intervene before she did. Either she wasn't trying, or wasn't paying attention. It didn't matter in the end though, as long as one of us does, it really doesn't.

"Everyone," Hyerin called out to the crowded hall. Despite it being soft, she had everyone's attention quickly.

"The first official class on Kido will begin two days from tonight. Do not forget and head for the Astronomy Tower's abandoned classrooms for the location. The actual room number will be written next to each of the entrances to the common rooms. We will be expecting you." She spoke over the hushed silence. For a tiny woman, she definitely could call attention to herself better than I can with Matsumoto in an empty office.

She strode away from me, to where, I wasn't sure. But I can interrogate her later.

Now, to get to my next class without getting run over by my fans. Unwanted fans, but they just don't get the message. I had a feeling, that should I ever need to choose between a hoard of crazy, lusty fan girls or a drunk, hung-over, completely useless Matsumoto, I would choose the latter. In a heartbeat.

~oOo~

END! Not much to say other than read and review! Oh! Wait! Before you review, none of you answered my question from chapter 7! I really want your input on whether I should include the Winter War and keep Gin alive, AND I also want to know that if I should introduce more Bleach characters, WHO do you want them to be? I'm Open to suggestions! And don't forget to add in couples if you want to!


	9. The Unforgiveables

Chapter 9: The Unforgiveables.

To all those who talked about grammatical errors, I was writing this in a van, with six other people crammed in with me, and I had less than thirty minutes to write all of this from the top of my head. OH! And about the too many comas? My finger has a certain affinity towards that key, heaven knows why. I'm a comma freak, so sorry!

I left my plot notebook at my grandmother's house so I was like, uh, FILLER! So that's how that chapter came about. But yea, I was on my way to pay my respects to my grandfather, whom I never got to meet, but I'll go because I'm a good granddaughter.

So this is actually part of my plot, I actually got back in time to snatch my plot book and other belongings before the other grandkids came in and messed them up, thankfully. So yea, that's just about it. Have fun reading, give me lots of reviews! I was so touched I received more than five for the last chapter, I was fucking ecstatic! I never expected to get more than two reviews per chapter, but hell, I'll take this any day! :D Have fun, my lovelies!

And of course I don't own **Bullshit.** Everyone knows that.

P.S: Beta…? ._.

~oOo~

**Toshiro's POV**

Potions.

An apparently most dreaded class, where the teacher has an unforgiving grudge against a certain House and a certain biased favoritism to another.

In all honesty, what is the point of having House rivalries? It is completely and utterly pointless. If the Gotei 13 were mapped out like Hogwarts was, I can assure you that all Hell would have broken loose a long time ago. Long before I became a captain, Hell, a long time before I was even _born. _

I stepped into the classroom, greeted with a welcoming blast of chilly, slightly damp air. I liked the teacher already, whoever keeps their room at such a pleasing temperature earns my respect as an ice wielder.

Hyerin had beat me here and was lounging languidly in the back of the classroom. The room was still filling up and I made my own choice to sit near her, right by one of the torches that lit up the rooms. We were in the dungeons, so I wasn't surprised that most of the light came from candles, torches, or floating lanterns. Why they couldn't just use materialized reiatsu as a form of lighting instead of material objects was beyond me. Using your own energy to light up areas has become common practice in Asia now, even us Shinigami use it.

Hyerin had already situated herself neatly; her books, parchment, and automatic quill all lined neatly in order. She was on her phone now, I'm sure she was sending in a report on events that had happened so far. To Yamamoto Soutaicho or to someone of her home, I wasn't sure, nor was I bothered to find out. Her slender fingers were typing rapidly on the small, sleek touch screen device with the practiced ease of a mortal teenager.

A near silent swish of fabric dragging across the cold stone floor got my attention. I coolly lifted my teal eyed gaze to look at the doors, watching the pale, greasy haired man from the feast sweep in. Professor Snape was his name, if I am correct. I always am, I am, after all, a prodigy.

He stood in front of the boards, a flick of his wand sent a piece of chalk hurtling towards it and another flick caused the writing material to begin posting the directions of some sort of potion. An intermediate level one, but one none the less. Potter, Granger, and Weasley were talking with their heads close together, Granger was the only one, whom I could tell, who was actually paying attention to both the conversation and to the instructions.

"15 points from Gryffindor for talking during instruction, Potter. Another 30 for messy robes, Weasley." Snape's tone of voice was filled with ill will and I was almost instantly on guard.

"Your instructions are on the board. Begin," A glance at the board told me all I needed to know. We were making a Draught of Peace, not something typical of a fourth year, but it shouldn't be too hard. Pulling out my cauldron and potions ingredients, I set to work. The method and exactness put into potion making was eerily similar to what I remember learning as chemistry. The academy didn't teach much of it to others that were not going into the Twelfth Division but I did take one course of it to fill for an elective.

Hyerin wasn't even paying attention. It looked like she was on autopilot, letting her mind go on with other duties while her body, and presumably her sword, went through these actions for her.

By the end of the class, only three cauldrons were emitting the soft, golden shimmer that was supposed to be the outcome. Granger, Mine, and Hyerin's all had the right color, texture, thickness, scent, and everything in between.

Longbottom's cauldron looked as if cement had been poured into it. The potion, or what was supposed to be the potion, had turned into a solid and refused to be cleaned away with spell. Snape curled his lip at him.

"What _is_ this_, _Longbottom? I see absolutely no trace of any gold. Tell me, did you follow the directions?" Snape sneered at the clearly terrified boy. Longbottom nodded his head, the motion was too quick and jerky with nervousness.

"Did you stir three times counterclockwise after step four?" Longbottom's eyes darted to the board and read the fourth line again. After an agonizingly long moment of silence, Longbottom's head slowly shook.

"50 points from Gryffindor," Snape spat out venomously. With a swish of his robes. Snape was moving on. He stopped and peered into my own cauldron.

"What is _this?_" Snape voiced softly, slightly tinged with disbelief. I stood taller, my back straight.

"I do believe it is called a Draught of Peace." I replied, my voice as cold as ever.

"Fill a vial, I do wish to see the effects of your potion, _foreigner._" Snape scowled at my perfectly made potion. He simply didn't want to believe that I, a mere foreign exchange student, had managed such a feat. Honestly, potions and chemistry are not that far from each other when it comes down to procedure.

"As you wish, _Professor._" I raised my brilliantly white wand up and cast the Accio charm. A small glass phial came zooming towards my station which I shared with Longbottom. He still looked like a wreck even though Snape had long since trashed his cauldron.

A deft flick of my wrist and the warm liquid that was still in my cauldron also filled the small bottle I held. Slipping the cork on, I waved my wand while casting a smaller version of the levitation charm. Moving the bottle with my wand, I placed it soundlessly back on Snape's desk.

Snape stopped at Hyerin's station, who she shared with Granger.

"And yours?" I caught the last snippet of their conversation. Hyerin stared him straight in the eye with her silver gaze.

"Just as it was written on the board," Hyerin replied softly, her voice was melodic and soft to the ears. She blinked at him in a bored manner.

"A vial on my desk at the end of class," Snape then turned to face Granger's potion, still bubbling softly in her cauldron. She nodded, sighed, and did the same actions I had completed just moments ago. By the end of his examinations, only three vials stood out on his desk; All perfectly made. Soon enough, the bell tolled.

"Mr. Hitsugaya and Ms. Choi. A moment after class." Hyerin glanced at me casually, but in her eyes, she held a light of uneasiness.

I slowly packed up my belongings, waiting impatiently as the last of the class tricked out. The door shut after them.

"Who are you? _What_ are you?" Snape had rounded on us almost instantly after the last student left. I subconsciously held my left hand in a way that should he attack, Hyourinmaru would be materialized in a defensive position.

"We are exactly what we state we are; Foreign exchange students whom are teaching a year of our magic in exchange for learning about your magic." Hyerin replied, her voice losing its melodic tone. I let the temperature drop down fractionally as a warning. I don't even think that Snape even registered that.

"I hardly think a foreign student, like a brat as yourselves would make such a complex potion perfectly on your first try; I believe that your knowledge is merely a scam. 100 points from Gryff-"

"Would that be wise?" Hyerin cut in smoothly, stopping Snape from completing his sentence, "We are from Japan, the single country who deploys more warriors and Aurors than your country could ever hope to even educate. A Draught of Peace was a simple Potion, for if you know anything about chemistry, you'll know a thing or two about potion making. Besides the point, do you honestly think, _Professor_, that Japan wouldn't be known world wide for it's magical blood, if we weren't _smart_? Not only are we educated in standardized wizarding knowledge, but we also educate ourselves in battle tactics, strategizing, and weapon wielding; something _your _country has yet to invest upon yet you're in the middle of a war. How utterly _foolish._" Hyerin spat out venomously. I was mildly surprised, I have never seen her in such a unruly state. Her silvery gaze burned with an intensity like no other and I could physically begin to feel the effects of her leaking reiatsu.

"You know _nothing_ about war," Snape replied just as viciously. Hyerin tossed her head back and laughed, her silky, midnight tresses beginning to lift away from her form as her reiatsu let out a ripple of a mix between anger and annoyance.

"_I _don't know anything about war? Well, _Professor, _I will have you know that I bet I could strategize every single move your enemy will plan and what moves you should take on if I read a report. If you want to win a war, you need to know how the enemy _thinks_. Otherwise, you can never win the upper hand," Snape made a move to call her out on an error; I figured it was time to step in.

"Enough. Professor, she speaks the truth. She was at the top of our class for battle strategies and her wit, courage, and way of mind is unsurpassed. You should understand that indeed, your country is behind when it comes to advanced planning and battle tactics, but it will not do to attempt to argue with her. She _will _win." With a nearly imperceptible flick of my wrist, I told Hyerin silently that the conversation was over. She sighed before picking up her bag and walking out of the room.

I turned to do the same, albeit more slowly, and was about to leave when I felt a presence nearing my mind. On instinct, I threw up a defensive barrier around my conscience, a high numbered Bakudo just on the tip of my tongue. With a sharp turn, I faced Snape, who was staring at my retreating form intensely.

Giving a frosty glare, I overthrew the invading mind with enough force for Snape to actually take a few steps back. Hyourinmaru was a snarling mass of fury in my mind, pissed beyond all belief that someone had even _dared_ to attempt to enter his guarded domain.

"I highly suggest you never try that again, you will not be so lucky next time." With a final frigid glance in his direction and a last drop of the temperature, I turned and left the room.

~oOo~

**Hyerin's POV**

Why are the mundane so utterly foolish? To even dare to challenge me, who is so far passed even their royalty it isn't even funny. I dislike it greatly when people think they understand the topic which they speak so freely about when, in all honesty, they _don't._ Annoying, stupid, and foolish.

I gazed out over the black lake, watching quietly as tiny ripples formed across the serene surface. Taking in a deep lungful of clean air, I let all thought process stop and I allowed my mind to calm down.

My outburst was not exactly intentional. I was to be punished for something I clearly didn't do. Yes I received all the knowledge I would be needing, but he didn't need to know that. What I said about Japan releasing only the best of what their magical blood could allow? Also, very true. All I stated were facts.

If only they knew how far behind their Ministry of Magic was when compared to other third world countries. Witches and Wizards hadn't even been formally introduced to the mortals, which was the very first step they should've taken.

Where the English mortals don't believe they exist, those of magical blood descent work directly with other people in Asia. Hell, we have witches and wizards who work in the government; the only way to distinguish them is by the colors of their nametag. Otherwise, the mundane and magical live side by side, peacefully. Not one side overpowers the other and no side fears the other. It was harmony at its finest.

In fact, the English Ministry is so far behind in even battle strategies that South Korea could take the entire country out with one battalion, two at most. That is a statement, seeing as the Koreas are warring with each other at this very moment.

I sighed once more in aggravation. Father told me that those of a magical bloodline are capable of defending for themselves, which is one of the reasons I agreed to this mission. I thought it would be both simple yet fascinating to learn about new magic. That is the understatement of the fucking year. They can't defend themselves, which means more work for me on top of all my duties as a Goddess _and _there isn't even a new magic to learn about. This was all magic that was forgotten, for it was too _weak_. Light magic has never been a favored sub category of the topic of magic itself. More wizards and witches whom are of the elite of them all are trained in either the Dark Magics, what the English call the Forgotten Arts, or Healing Magic. Both are far more powerful, not to mention more useful, than Light Magic.

The three Unforgivable Curses? Killing, Total Control, and Torture? Aren't those far more useful than any 'Stupefy' or 'Wingardium Leviosa'? The English have become too soft.

Besides, there are far worse spells and hexes you can aim towards an enemy that would have them wish they were never alive. It may not be physical torture, but there are emotional and internal ways to torture an enemy into submission and they are never pleasant.

Soft footsteps alerted me to someone heading my way. Whoever it was, they weren't trying to conceal themselves. Well, they may just be really bad at it, besides the fact that I can tell who it is without turning. The reiatsu signature was familiar.

"Professor?" It was Potter. I knew who it was when he was five hundred yards away, he didn't even try to hide his reiatsu. He had very little of it, but it was enough for me to sense him.

"Can I help you?" My voice was cool and calm, exactly like the cool water that lapped at the sandy edges of the lake. A cool breeze descended upon us, drawing us both into a peaceful silence; Neither bothering the other in any way, shape, or form.

"Dinner will be starting soon, I just wanted to let you know so you wouldn't miss the food…" Harry trailed off quietly. It was easy to hear the curiosity in his tone; No doubt wondering what had transpired in the Potions classroom.

"I apologize, my appetite seems to have diminished. I will not be joining you. If that is all, I will be heading to my room now," I replied crisply, turning on my heel to leave. I heard his shoes scuff the gritty shore before I heard his voice.

"Wait! Can I know what Snape asked of you?" His voice rang clear through the cool air. I paused in my step, wondering what I should tell him. A lie? The truth would be rather risky and give him ideas.

"He questioned how far the Japanese schools have taught us. I merely replied to him that I had proceeded through all standardized wizarding tests and received excellent scores." I said stiffly before moving forward and leaving him to his business.

~oOo~

Two days had passed since the incident and I was trailing the red head and Potter quietly as they made their way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. The man, Moody, was a rather shady character, I would need to keep a very close eye on him.

I entered the room quietly and immediately headed for the back, near one of the large windows. Moody didn't seem to be the type to teach from a book so I hadn't even bothered in bringing it. I could summon another copy of it easily enough, or just create an identical book from the shadows themselves. The cool air was pleasant to my skin as I waited quietly for Toshiro to show as well as Moody himself.

With a soft sigh of air flowing past me, I glanced to my right, where the seat directly below the window had once been unoccupied. Sitting there, with his books and parchment laid out neatly and his hair completely unruffled, was Toshiro himself. He seemed to be using shunpo a lot these days. I quirked an eyebrow at him.

"_Hollow, just two of them right at the northern most corner of the black lake. They were driven into a frenzy from all the spiritual energy that comes off the wizards; given a few more minutes, they would have been upon us._" His deep, rich baritone was sending cool shivers down my spine. Kami, even his voice has effects on me. Although, you had to admit, a man who has a deep voice and looks really good to boot _is_ extremely date worthy. I pondered absentmindedly exactly how many females he must have back at Soul Society. He looks good, sounds good, and he's strong. He _must _have girls falling left and right for him.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by the dull '_thunk' _of wood smacking harshly against the stone flooring. A few moments later, the scarred face of Moody showed up, his electric blue eye wandering wildly about in its glass container. I could see the clawed end of his makeshift leg poking from beneath his robes.

"Put the book away, you won't need them."

Granger, who had arrived just minutes ago stating she'd been in the library raised her hand to question why they wouldn't need books. Moody didn't pay her any heed.

Pulling out the class roster, Moody steadily read down the names, his normal eye following his finger as it moved down the list while the magical eye swiveled to face each student the grizzled man call out.

He paused on my name for a moment before his eye swiveled to face me. A heartbeat passed before he continued on, repeating the same actions for Toshiro. It was automatically a silent agreement between us to watch out for each other while in the presence of this man.

"Right then," He started, setting the parchment down as soon as the last student responded that they were present, "I've got a letter from Professor Lupin about this class. You've tackled the majority of the Dark creatures - Boggarts, Red Caps, Hinkypunks, Grindylows, Kappas, and Werewolves, is this right?

A general murmur of assent. Kappas? And only Werewolves? Kappas were never a mandatory creature to study, and most schools taught about more than just wolves, there are several species of Weres, not to mention different sub categories of Weres. This school was very, very behind.

"But you are, unfortunately, behind - very behind - on learning about curses. So I'm here to bring you up to scratch on what one wizard can do to another. I've only got one year to teach-"

"What, aren't you staying?" Ron bleated out, his voice rising a pitch in disbelief.

"You'll be Arthur Weasley's son? He did get me out of a tight corner a few days ago. But yes, I am only staying here for a year - Special favor to Dumbledore. Then its right back to my quiet retirement."

He smiled, the movement causing all the scars to catch the lighting a bit. The shiny flesh reflected the light and I could clearly see the extensive damage this man took. Perhaps the scars are all the effects of past fights and possibly why his reiatsu feels so warped. I set that thought aside for later dissection. Moody laughed harshly before clapping his gnarled hands.

"So - Straight to curses. They come in many strengths and forms. According to the Ministry, I'm only supposed to teach you counter curses and leave it at that. Not supposed to show you what illegal Darks curses look like until sixth year. Not supposed to deal with those until then. Professor Dumbledore's got a higher opinion of your nerves; he reckons you can cope with them just fine. I say the sooner you know what you're up against, the better. How are you supposed to defend yourself against something you've never seen? A wizard who's about to put an illegal curse on you isn't going to tell you what he'll do. He will never be polite about it to your face. You need to be alert and watchful. You need to put that away, Miss Brown, when I'm talking."

Lavender jumped and blushed, I could see her hurriedly stuffing a completed horoscope back into her bag. It seems as though the magical eye could see through solids, and apparently out the back of his head.

"Do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?"

Several hands rose up hesitantly, Ron and Hermione's among them. I rolled my eyes, of course Granger would know the answer, but so do I. She seemed to be a suck up to most teachers with the amount of knowledge she keeps up in her nosy little head. Moody pointed to Ron even as his magical eye stayed fixated on Lavender.

"Er," Ron had begun speaking, his voice soft and tentative, "My dad told me about one. ….Is it called the Imperius Curse, or something…?"

"Ah, yes" Moody responded appreciatively. "Your father _would _know about that one, gave the Ministry quite a trouble at one time, the Imperius Curse."

Moody stood up heavily on his different feet and walked to his desk. Upon opening the first drawer, he pulled out a glass jar filled with three large spiders. I watched amused as Ron scooted back in his seat a bit.

Catching one in his large hand, Moody pulled out a worn wand, possibly made of willow, judging by the color, and muttered the curse.

"_Imperio!_"

"The spider leapt from Moody's hand on a fine thread of silk, just as though a trapeze artist would. It's legs stretched out rigidly and then it did a back flip, breaking the tiny thread. Landing on a desk, it continued to do cartwheels in circles. Moody jerked his wand roughly and the spider rose onto its two hand legs and went into what was unmistakably a tap dance.

Everyone laughed, that is, except for myself, Toshiro, and Moody.

"Think it's funny, do you? You'd like it, would you, if you were the one under my control?" Moody rumbled ominously. (A/N: All old men rumble, there's just no way around it.)

The laughter died away instantly.

"Total control," Moody said quietly as the spider balled itself up and spun around like a tiny version of a basketball. "I could make it jump out a window, drown itself, throw itself down one of your throats…" Ron gave an involuntary shudder at the last statement.

I cast my reiatsu out and felt for what I knew to be the spider's conscience. Moody was going on about the trouble this curse had on the Ministry. Honestly, a few weeks of deep meditation and actually finding yourself would cure yourself of being felled by this weak little number. I peered into the spider's mind, a frenzy of controls being placed into it by Moody's voice.

'_Jump onto Malfoy's face.' _The spider did just that, eliciting a girlish shriek from said male.

"The Imperius Curse can be fought, and I'll be teaching you how, but it takes a real strength of character and not everyone's got it. Best to avoid being hit with it if you can. CONSTANT VIGILENCE!" Moody barked out, everyone jumped in their seats. He carelessly picked up the somersaulting spider and tossed it back into the jar.

"Anyone else know one? Another illegal curse?"

Granger's hand went up, but so did Longbottom's, to my slight surprise. He only answered questions in Herbology, from what I could tell.

"Yes?" Moody's magical eye rolled to fix on the trembling boy.

"there's one - the Cruciatus Curse," Longbottom's voice seemed tiny and insignificant.

Finally, the torture curse. It would be interesting to see how the others will react to this.

Moody retrieved yet another spider, this one merely standing on the desk. It was afraid.

"The Cruciatus Curse," Said Moody. "Needs to be a bit bigger for you to get the point. _Engorgio!_" The spider swelled up grotesquely, now larger than your everyday tarantula. Ron abandoned all pretense and pushed his chair as far away from the desk as possible.

"_Crucio!_" At once, the spider's legs bent in on itself; it rolled over and over again and began to twitch horribly. No sound came from it, but it was clear from the distress, panic, and pain that came from the spider's conscience, it would be screaming, if it had a voice. Moody did not move his wand, the spider jerking and twisting more violently.

"Stop it!" Granger shrieked out shrilly.

I glanced at her before turning my attention to where her gaze was pointed at. Longbottom had his hands clenched tightly, his knuckles straining against his pale skin; his eyes were wide and horrified.

Moody relaxed his wand's position and the spider relaxed, its limbs twitching slightly. He calmly reduced it and placed it back in its jar.

"Pain." said Moody softly. "You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse… That one was very popular too." Moody turned to face the class, his gaze somehow pointed at Toshiro. I wouldn't be surprised if it were for the ferret incident.

"Right, anyone know any others?"

Obviously, no one knew what would happen to the third spider as Granger raise her hand into the air for the third time. To my surprise, so did Toshiro.

Moody looked at Toshiro, who I could see was calmly staring back at him with a frosty glint in his pretty eyes.

"Yes?" The class turned to face where Moody was talking, a few girls swooning at Toshiro's relaxed position.

"Avada Kedavra, the Killing Curse." His cool voice carried away from him softly. A few students inhaled sharply. Moody smiled slightly.

"Ah, yes. Avada Kedavra, the last and worst of the three. The Killing Curse."

Moody reached into the jar. The spider, somehow knowing what was to come, tried frantically to evade his grasping fingers. He trapped it and picked the poor creature up, setting it down on the desktop. The spider tried to make its way off the desk in a panicked state. Moody simply raised his wand.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" He roared out.

A blinding flash of green light and a rushing sound filled the room. I knew for a fact that this was curse that not only broke the victim's chain of fate, but also stole the soul's power source, much like the Dementor's kiss. Therefore, the victim cannot be Hollowfied, as the body is merely an empty shell and the Soul has no power supply. Essentially, the soul disappears. To where, no one has ever known.

The spider rolled over, completely unscathed, but unmistakably dead.

"Not nice," Moody said calmly before sweeping the dead animal off Ron's desk, "Not pleasant, either. No blocking it either. Only one person has ever survived it, and he's sitting right in front of me." All eyes turned to stare at Harry. I cautiously raised my reiatsu levels, letting my power gently sweep around the room in case danger should arise. Toshiro's reiatsu seemed to leak out as well, the after effects of the curse drawing out our awareness. The temperature dropped suddenly and a few students shivered. Moody looked directly at Potter, his eyes, for once, now trained on one subject.

"Harry Potter."

~oOo~

End! I'm sorry I haven't updated, I've been trying for about once a week, but someone very close to me has just recently passed away and I've been trying to deal with it and help my family cope with the fresh loss. However, since I had literally almost all of this chapter done, I decided to post what I had and -hopefully- I'll get you guys another chapter, in the next week. Forgive me if I don't though.

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'm sure we all know that lots of reviews would make a bit happier! Next is Kido Lesson Number 1! So look forward to it!

Ja Ne!

SimplyFalling211.


	10. The Lessons Begin

I'm back! So sorry I didn't update within the week, like I would've wanted to. Anyway, this chapter WAS rather short (In my eyes anyways) and I apologize about that from the very bottom of my heart! -bows- Anyways, I was so touched with how many reviews I got! 7 WHOLE REVIEWS! I was so happy, because I kind of figured out a while ago that I really am not a great writer, at least I don't think so, and considering I've only studied English for so long… well you can understand my point. But thank you guys SO MUCH or being so supportive of me! Well, I can't hold you from the update any longer~ Read onwards! By the way, this is all in Toshiro's POV, I was feeling too lazy to actually put in Hyerin's view on this.

I still don't own **Bullshit**, so don't bother getting all offended when I say Tite Kubo is one lucky butt hole for creating and owning this amazing series.

P.S: Beta Position now belongs to PartyPony2.

**Chapter 10: The Lessons Begin**

**Toshiro's POV**

I watched with a cool gaze as every student's gaze swiveled to face in Potter's direction. His emerald green gaze was fixed everywhere but at any of his peer's faces, a slight pink tint slowly became visible on his skin.

Potter's eyes were swimming with sudden realization; it occurred to me that he may have very well been picturing his parents' deaths for many years now, and he just now saw just how quickly they would have died and gone to Soul Society. I pondered mildly how they would have been in Rukongai by now, and which district they were in.

Moody began to speak once more. "_Avada Kedavra's _a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind it - you could all get your wands out now and point them at me and say these words, and I doubt I'd get so much as a nosebleed. But that doesn't matter. I'm not here to teach you how to do it."

I smirked a bit. Not so much as a nosebleed, hm? I am positive that I can inflict _much_ more than _just_ a nosebleed on him.

"Now, if there's no counter curse, why am I showing you? _Because you've got to know._ You've got to appreciate what the worst is. You don't want to find yourself in a situation where you're facing it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Moody roared, turning with a _'thunk'_ of his wooden leg to face the rest of the class.

"Now … those three curses - _Avada Kedavra, Imperius, and Cruciatus - _are known as the Unforgivable Curses. The use of any one of them on a fellow wizard is enough to earn a life sentence in Azkaban. That's what you're up against. That's what I've got to teach you to fight. You need preparing, and lots of it. You need arming, but most of all, you need to practice _constant, never-ceasing vigilance_. Get out your quills … copy this down…"

The rest of the class was spent writing down notes, nothing too uncommon happened throughout the duration other than a slight pulse of a weak Hollow at the edge of the forest. Hyerin simply raised her hand to go to the restroom. Moody conceded and she disappeared out the door. Keeping a sharp gaze out the window, I saw just the faintest glimpse of black and white before the soft, yet unmistakable, cry of the Hollow reached my ears. A curious glance around the room told me that no one else noticed. Constant vigilance, what a joke when not even the teacher couldn't notice the sudden spike of reiatsu in the air when the Hollow disintegrated.

Hyerin returned not even five minutes later, not a single, silky strand of hair out of place. She sat down and finished her notes quickly before the bell rang.

As I packed up my messenger bag, I could easily notice how Moody had his magical eye fixated on my bag. The lesson plans I had in there were facing outwards, meaning that, if he could see through solid objects like I suspected, he would be able to read them.

I absentmindedly focused a thin layering of my reiatsu around my bag, preventing him from reading anymore. Moody started muttering, but I couldn't hear him correctly.

The halls were crowded as I left the room, Hyerin not far behind me. The trio was standing near Longbottom, who still seemed to look just a bit horrified. I snorted slightly. Weaklings. If they could barely hide their horrified looks about a mere killing curse, and the most painless one at that, then how do they expect to kill someone when they're in the middle of a war?

If you have to kill in a war, it can't be helped. You may be able to harness enough compassion for your enemy to finish them off quickly, but sometimes, it can't be avoided. I pity them, though. They will be so young when they commit their first kill. I was nearly a century old when I had to kill my first Hollow.

Hyerin softly flared her reiatsu in calming waves; I mildly glanced around and figured she was simply taking pity on poor Longbottom. Even his reiatsu signature seemed in complete turmoil, the energy flaring out in confused and horrified movements.

The trio was quietly questioning the poor boy; Longbottom stumbled over his words in the aftershock of watching and learning about the three unforgivable curses. I sensed Moody long before I saw him, his reiatsu still appeared strange and twisted, but he seemed more neutral than during his excitement on teaching.

"It's all right, sonny," The words flowed in a low growl, the undertone gave the impression of being gentle and lacking ill intent. Hyerin calmly held an arm in front of me, gesturing for me to halt my footsteps. Moody questioned Potter after dealing with the still clearly apprehensive Longbottom.

"You all right, are you, Potter?"

Potter gave an affirmative, his voice taking on a hint of defiance.

Moody's magical eye swiveled to face in mine and Hyerin's direction. Hyerin's reiatsu was tense, yet her body language was still as calm as ever. "And yourselves? You must be in shock," His voice was gruff, his magical eye roamed over our figures, his eye lingering a few seconds too long on Hyerin's figure. I wondered if he could see through my gigai, Kurotsuchi had specifically designed this model to look more realistic, with the additions of normal internal body organs.

"I can assure you, our country has spells of the same nature, we are not new to this concept," Hyerin replied, tossing her hair over one shoulder casually, though her eyes slightly betrayed her apprehension. Her silver gaze sparkled with a hidden warning.

"I will not doubt that knowledge. Come, sonny, I have heard that you're a fair hand at Herbology." Longbottom cast one last petrified glance at the trio before he followed after Moody's lumbering figure.

I watched with guarded eyes as the slightly humpbacked figure limped away, muttering softly to Longbottom in what would appear to be a soothing manner. The trio was now steadily making their way back to the Great Hall for dinner, Weasley talking animatedly for a moment before Potter gave him a dirty look. They proceeded in grim silence before the soft clinking of silverware became present in the air. Rich, savory scents of food filled the warm air but my appetite had yet to return. I would content myself with a cup of tea.

"I'll go set up the classroom," Hyerin murmured softly, her voice was melodic and gentle to my sharp senses. She was gone with a quick swish of robes before I could answer.

The disgustingly warm air surrounded me, making me feel confined. I found a relatively quiet area of the table, but it seemed the trio had intentions of dogging every single one of my actions like nosy little puppies.

"Eat light, you do not wish to upset yourself during tonight's lessons," I commented stoically before pouring myself a steaming cup of tea and sitting back against the wooden bleachers. Granger looked thoughtful for a moment before she began to reach for her food and eating rapidly. Weasley and Potter did not heed my words and loaded their plates full of rich foods. If they become sick, I will not clean it up. A soft sigh and I turned my eyes heavenwards for a moment. Hyourinmaru laughed in my mind.

'**It's like trying to talk Matsumoto into doing paperwork all over again,'** Hyourinmaru's voice echoed quietly in the deep recesses of my mind, followed by a deep rumbling which signified his laughter.

'Silence, you know exactly how it feels. In fact, you're usually the one who gives up on persuading her before **I** do!' I retorted internally, taking a sip of my steaming tea, allowing the beautiful notes of green tea roll along my tongue in delightful patterns.

"So," Weasley was busy stuffing his cheeks full of what looked like a roasted pork chop, "what time is the class starting?" He took another massive bite after he forcefully swallowed his last mouthful and washed it down with whatever was in the goblets. I closed my eyes in disgust and pinched the bridge of my nose irately.

"8:30 sharp. If you are late, you will not be accepted to participate actively in the class." I opened my eyes in time to see Granger swallow her bite of sprouts and pick up her bag, telling her friends hurriedly she was going to the library. She rushed off, her bushy mane flowing out behind her. Potter turned to me, pausing only to take a bite of a large roasted potato.

"So, uh, Professor, what exactly is the beginner class of this Back-You-Doe magic that your country teaches?"

I took another sip of green tea to calm myself before answering, hesitating for a second when Hyerin flared her reiatsu quickly from the other side of the campus. "It begins with the majority of the time being taken up by Meditation. To complete this particular division of magic, you must be able to sink to your innermost self because you don't use your particular physical energy being channeled through a magical item to cast a spell. This division is strictly wandless and you use spiritual energy, which I have noticed you English have a substantial amount of."

The desserts came around and I picked up a single piece of watermelon. The sweet fruit would be able to calm my anxiety. So many instances could go wrong with these wizards; I had no idea what their ability in this field would be like, no idea what kind of results they could yield. Would it be a successful class? Or a complete failure? I could not tell.

When it came time for the students to head up their respective common rooms, I rose and swiftly threw my bag around my shoulders. Hyerin never got a chance to look over my newest plans and she had just over an hour to complete that task.

"Do not be late. Be in the abandoned classroom in the Astronomy Tower. You will know which one it is," I tossed over my shoulder coolly before stalking away from the crowd of students rushing about. Thank Kami we were beginning with Fourth years tonight, I can only imagine how rambunctious the students whom I don't personally know would become about this class.

When I was positive that I was clear of all eyes, I shunpoed my way to the classroom, skidding slightly on the way when one of the poltergeists attempted to drop a vase on my head. I do believe his name was Peeves. A konso may be in order. In fact, I've seen several spirits around this castle, yet none seemed to appear to have any signs of Hollowfication. Their Chains of Fate were clearly broken, yet I see no hexagonal iron piece that should be placed in the direct center of their chests.

With a smooth bunching of my muscles, I leaped cleanly into the classroom through the open window.

"Are all the evacuation plans ready to be taken into action upon immediate notice?" I was standing near the front desk of the abandoned classroom that was chosen for the class. We'd already mapped out where the dojo for the Battle Tactics class would be held – we merely needed to put it into action.

The drafty, spacious classroom that I'd stumbled upon while inspecting for future classrooms last week turned out to be absolutely flawless. It was dusty, but there was a large window that dominated the left side of the room, where the front desk was situated, and the high oak beams that created the rafters were high enough that it would actually take an effort to hit with a well aimed Kido spell. The window both acted as an easy gateway in case there was a Hollow nearby, but it also let in a delightfully cool breeze to slip into the room.

"Yes. It's just explaining basics, right? And to see if they can detect the reiatsu cloak we've created from our own signatures?" Hyerin was peering over the lesson plans I'd outlined just two nights ago. She was bent over the cherry wood desk that had been set in by Dumbledore himself, the plans splayed out over the top as her eyes quickly scanned over each one and corrected any mistakes I'd made. Her dark, silken tresses fell from the small hairclip she'd been using and they fell forward to conceal her face. I slipped my bag off and handed her the fresh stack of plans. She gave me a tired glare.

"How you manage to map out these plans and still have time to do your paperwork is beyond me. Perhaps it is because I get more say in the matters at home, I get more paperwork; I hate politics," she growled in annoyance but took the stack of notes from me and went straight back to reading over the last batch.

"Oh, I changed the map of the dojo. A good friend of mine – you may know him as Urahara Kisuke – sent me a pocket dimension to use instead. Its door is the trapdoor right over there." She nodded with her head to the small metal trapdoor that blended in inconspicuously with the cold stone tiling underfoot.

"Urahara… is both a great help and a nuisance," I muttered before walking calmly to the door and picking up the latch. The door opened with a small squeak and I leaped down the dark abyss.

It looked the same as the one below Urahara's store. The walls were painted a sky blue with small clouds dotting the scenic background. Rolling dunes of sand stretched as far as I could see, the ceiling was high above my head as I landed with a soft thud on the sandy floor.

"How's it look? I haven't seen it yet," Hyerin's distant voice called out to me.

"It will work," I responded, willing Hyrourinmaru from his disguised state. The cold, heavy hilt felt like heaven. It had been a long time since I've openly trained with him; the small release in the forest hardly counted as even a warm-up. It seemed I had no use for the space anymore; training here would be much safer and less noticeable.

"Soten Ni Zase, Hyourinmaru!" I bellowed, watching with satisfaction as the ice dragon came roaring from my blade's deadly tip. (A/N: I'll use both Japanese and English terms when describing the Shikai commands; it's a _whichever-one-pops-in-my-head-first_ sort of thing.)

I did a quick slash to my right before whirling around and doing a vertical cut. I watched as Hyourinmaru followed my directions and a pillar of sand erupted around me, completely encasing my figure. I shunpoed from the middle of the sand storm before the momentum left it and the sand could crash down on me.

Sensing that time was dwindling like the sand that flowed with the dry air, I went ahead and released my bankai. I had too much reiatsu built up and it would do me no good should I accidentally kill a student from pressure.

"Bankai!" I snarled, feeling relieved when the cold iciness of my companion engulfed me. With a brief stretching of my wings, I flew to the center of the room, turning entire dunes of sand to massive ice mountains. It took only a minimal amount of effort and hardly took up reiatsu, but I merely needed to take the edge off my need to train. It would take a full day for me to release all my pent up energy. A full day of quiet, peaceful, uninterrupted training. By myself.

By the time I finished creating a chain of ice mountains, I figured the students would begin to arrive soon. I checked the webbing of reiatsu that surrounded the room and found it was still intact. It was a test really, to see if the English wizards were able to sense reiatsu like I thought they could. They may not be able to do it well – hell, I'm positive the Substitute Shingami Kurosaki would be able to excel when it comes to being compared to them, but it would be a place to start.

I flew to where the entrance was and forcefully pushed my wings down, feeling the burst of acceleration. With my impeccable timing, I managed to pull my wings in time to not get them scraped by the narrow tunnel. When the entrance was in sight, I deactivated my Bankai and used shunpo the rest of the way, hauling myself out of the doorway gracefully. I knocked the door back down shut with my foot and turned in time to sense that Granger was on her way. Her reiatsu seemed tentative but filled with a never-ending curiosity.

Hyerin had seemingly finished looking over of the plans and was sitting calmly on the stone ground, her sword imbedded deeply on the hard floor. Her eyes were closed and it was easy to tell she was in a deep form of meditation. I questioned myself on whether or not to rouse her before she opened her crystal clear eyes. Her silvery gaze met mine before she stood and yanked her sword from the ground. With a soft '_swish'_, the gleaming blade was once more a simple band of silver around her ring finger.

Frigid teal and stormy silver clashed together. I could see her slight anxiety about the class, yet a cool façade was in place to hide it. I was sure she'd outlined something if anything went wrong. Escape plans had been the item we'd spent the most time on.

A soft knock sounded and I turned away to stare out the window while Hyerin went to greet Granger.

"I see you've made it, and ten minutes early. It was expected. Take a cushion and have a seat." Hyerin gestured to the stack of soft cushions situated in the corner. Granger nodded nervously, yet her aura radiated curiosity and excitement, and grabbed one of the soft pillows and took a seat directly in front of the desk. Typical.

One by one, the students slowly trickled in over the course of ten minutes. I watched curiously, studying each of the students who walked in. They seemed to notice and attempted to act nonchalant about it. A few girls passed me flirtatious looks but I paid them no heed. A few had potential to become semi-decent Kido users, simply judging by their reiatsu. They seemed eager to please yet slightly apprehensive. I groaned internally when a familiar platinum blonde head walked in, flanked by two massive, hulking bodies.

Malfoy had proceeded in, a smirk plastered on his face. He winked at Hyerin but gave me a glare – which I assumed was supposed to be icy and full of hatred – and crinkled his lip up in a disdainful sneer. He looked constipated in my eyes. That is, however, coming from the man who could scare off the hulking Captain of the Eleventh Squad. It was the first and last time Zaraki Kenpachi ever called me a 'shorty'.

I stood quietly next to the desk, reading over what Hyerin had corrected in my set of plans when her phone screen suddenly lit up, the numbers displaying the time. 8:30. No Weasel or Potter in sight.

I expanded my awareness and found them hurrying across the rain soaked grass. They were still a long ways off and wouldn't be here in time for the clock to continue saying 8:30. Hyerin glanced at me and I nodded. The class would begin without them.

"Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the first official class of the introductory lesson on the Japanese arts of Bakudo, otherwise known as the Arts of Binding. As you should have clearly realized, even as a fellow classmate, I am a certified master of this art; my companion, Professor Hitsugaya, is also a certified teacher of these arts." Several nods went around the class. I watched Padma Patil attempt to secretly pass a note to her sister, her face tinted a pale pink with a blush. Kami, do all witches prefer their men to come from exotic places?

"I would appreciate it if you didn't pass notes during my class, Patil," I called out coolly before walking down the row and patiently holding my hand out. She didn't meet my eyes though; I could see her blush spreading down to cover her neck. Her hand trembled when she hesitantly handed the note to me. I had the mind to go back to the desk and read the note out loud, exactly what all the other teachers back at the Academy would have done.

Before I could continue on with that thought, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter busted through the entryway of the classroom, grabbing my attention. They were slightly out of breath and a light sheen of sweat glistened on their flushed skin.

"Potter, Weasley, you're late." Hyerin's tone was unforgiving and cold, her silver gaze leveling them with a hard stare of disapproval. Weasley's face turned an unsightly pink, his ears matching the fiery red of his hair.

"I-I'm sorry," Potter panted out, using his index finger to push his glasses back up his nose. "We were, uh, caught off guard with the time."

"For being late, you will each suffer ten minutes in a binding spell. You two can be the class examples," Hyerin replied, motioning with a sweep of her arm to stand in front of the class.

"_Sai!_" Hyerin's voice resonated in the room before both tardy students found themselves kneeling on the ground, their wrists bound together with an invisible force. A sharp intake of breath went around the room, a few whispers sounded in awe.

"As you can see, this particular spell – which translates directly to 'block' – renders the victim in a state of helplessness. They are bound with their wrists behind their backs and are forced to kneel. Currently, I am using my own energy to fuel this spell, but it is quite possible to use the victim's own energy source to power the spell." Hyerin made a full circle around the two adolescent males before turning to face the class.

"This is the first spell you will learn. However, in order to complete it, you must first be able to connect with yourself, to truly _know_ who you are. We will begin with two weeks of meditation. By the end of two weeks, I expect at least a handful of you to be able to sink to your innermost self. I will explain Bakudo's history and mechanics when we do begin with the hands-on exercises." Hyerin cut off any questions that would have come up. Malfoy, however, seemed intent on interrupting her.

"But why must we focus on this? Can't you do this with a wand? It would be easier if we could." A few murmurs of agreement rose up between the youths gathered before us. Malfoy smirked, looking like he'd hit the jackpot.

"Kido is a division of magic that relies solely on the user's spiritual energy to fuel the spell. Spiritual energy is nullified when it is not used in its purest form; therefore you must do this wandless or with a wand that has no core. Your division of magic relies of physical energy and must be converted to the correct medium using your wand cores, which is essentially how you complete your spells." Hyerin sighed, looking like she was explaining this to a toddler rather than adolescent mortals. I stepped forwards, waving my hand to free Potter and Weasley from their spell and gesturing for them to take a seat.

"You will first begin by learning how to meditate. Fold yourself with your legs crossed and your hands resting on your upper thighs." I completed the familiar pose and waited as the other students followed so; the troll-like bodyguards of Malfoy having the most trouble. Ugly, moronic, and completely useless. I could only assume that Malfoy keeps them around for their brute strength, or what little they have of it. It would be heart-wrenchingly easy to knock them out with a single punch.

"In your mind, picture a blank wall and submerge into yourself. Clear your mind and truly focus on your soul's essence. Learn to talk within yourself. Learn to really know _who_ you are," I intoned softly, quietly. My voice was smooth and deep, lulling all occupants in the room to an unresponsive state. Hyerin was watching me carefully before she flicked her eyes across the silent room. Soft breathing, accompanied by the periodic snort from the trolls, filled the room.

I slowly rose to my feet in a single smooth, graceful movement. Monitoring so many reiatsu auras was simple. It was just like a typical training class within my division. I sighed wistfully, just thinking of the state of disaster and calamity my division may be in with the type of fukutaicho I have. Sake parties galore.

I could see several potential Kido users; it was easy to see that the English do have a rather vague and indistinct knowledge and sense that reiatsu exists. Potter seemed to be trying the hardest. His brows were furrowed and his eyes were squinted up tightly, a trail of sweat making its way from his left temple.

Hyerin was silently prowling between the rows of students, using her own reiatsu to calm them if theirs suddenly spiked out. With silent footsteps, she was by my side, her head barely reaching my shoulder.

"Change of plans, they're accelerating faster than I thought. Tomorrow night – or perhaps even after this – we need to evaluate their potential using those." She flicked her head at the small wooden boards with a needle sticking out of it. The needle was a specially designed piece of reiatsu collecting metal. As long as you concentrated and you actually had the energy, a ball of reiatsu should form at the tips.

"Granger, Potter, Lovegood, and Longbottom are already deep within their thoughts. I suspect they'll be the fastest to learn amongst their peers," Hyerin whispered softly, her sweet, minty breath cool against my face.

I nodded minutely before silently making myself comfortable on the cold floor. Hyourinmaru was itching to say something to me yet he refused to openly say it within my mind. Sighing internally, I cast a last glance at Hyerin, who was watching the others with a guarded expression, before settling myself into meditation.

It was going to be a very long night.

~oOo~

End!

Nothing particularly eventful in this chapter. I can't wait until it starts getting really exciting! The next chapter is the introduction of the other schools, the Goblet of Fire, and perhaps just a little chaos may occur in the next lesson, or maybe I'll even begin with the Battle Strategies class! What do you all think? Battle Tactics WILL take place, that's a given, but do you want it to come in _now_ or when the kido lessons are well underway? I'm leaving the answer up to you guys!

Until the next chapter!

Ja Ne!


	11. A New Theory and New Arrivals

Hey everyone! Sorry for the late update!

I have my reasoning at the end, so you'll get your answers.

I still don't own bullshit, which pisses me off even more once you read the author's note at the end.

Anyways, I won't keep you any long. Read and Review, my lovelies!

**Chapter 11: A New Theory and New Arrivals**

Toshiro was completely unfazed with the goose bump-inducing chill that surrounded him in his inner world. A fierce blizzard was roaring away and drifts of white snow seemed to latch onto his spiky locks.

Hyourinmaru was standing, leaning patiently against a mountain of ice; his tail was sweeping away the icy shards that clung to the tips of his sea green hair. The ice mantle he usually wore was nowhere in sight.

"Hyourinmaru?" Toshiro was quick to work his way through the snow, meeting up with his lifelong partner in the shade of the glacial mountain.

For a few agonizingly long moments, Hyourinmaru did not speak; his cool gaze seemed cloudy and deep in thought.

"Hyourinmaru, speak to me about the thoughts that trouble you," Toshiro spoke again, his deep baritone and the warm puffs of breath turning into a fine mist as they left his mouth. Another moment passed before Hyourinmaru opened his mouth to speak.

"Master… This thought has troubled me, but is it possible for… wizards to wield Zanpakutou, such as myself?" The ice dragon's steely gaze locked in on his wielder, and though he didn't need to tilt his gaze as low to meet Toshiro's gaze, there was still about a foot in their height difference.

The thought had never occurred to Toshiro, which was why the question caught him off guard. Granted, the English wizards do have spiritual pressure, but he didn't think it was enough to sustain a connection with another entity within themselves, weak or not.

"It may be possible under certain circumstances, but I do not think that every single wizard would be able to wield one," Toushirou responded. "Only a few had shown true potential in wielding a Zanpakutou, but I do not doubt that it would take many centuries for the wizards to understand this. Unlike us, they do not have centuries of time to dwell on this matter, like us Shinigami." He let a 'whoosh' of breath out. Hyourinmaru seemed to ponder his young master's words.

"Very well, your words put me at ease. The thought that anyone other than a soul-based organism can wield and control Zanpakutou who could quite possibly have the capability to oppose the Gotei 13 disturbs me," the dragon murmured softly. He swung his tail again through the snow; his talon-like feet were about three inches deep in the soft snow.

"If the English could broaden their knowledge on magic and did not strictly rely on magic that tips the scale towards the Lighter side, I would not doubt their power would increase tenfold, as well as their spiritual pressure," Toshiro conceded, shaking his hair to get rid of the frost that was beginning to accumulate there. Hyourinmaru seemed to hum in thought for a moment, contemplating the little Shinigami's words. He was known, after all, as a prodigy.

"Point taken, Master. Now, if I am not mistaken, you are needed in the awakened world," Hyourinmaru rumbled lowly, watching with a lidded gaze at the swirling mass of white that surrounded them. Toshiro made a small sound in the back of his throat and bid the dragon farewell before returning to his senses.

He didn't open his eyes the moment he gathered his wits about him. First, he listened closely and heard the very quiet shuffle of light footsteps. He caught the hint of deep breathing, which indicated that a number of students were still deep within themselves, or attempting to search themselves.

At last, he opened his teal gaze and slowly scanned the room without moving his head or changing his breathing pattern. Should the enemy be near, they would not realize he was awake and aware of his surroundings. Long days of training and being rudely awakened by the previous Captain Kurosaki of the Tenth Division had taught him a very valuable lesson.

Several students were grouped together in the far corner, seated just where the trap door to the training room was located. Hyerin was speaking to them in a soft voice, and Toshiro could not make out the words she said. Several eyes flickered in his direction but their gazes were immediately diverted when they realized he was now awake.

In a smooth motion, he rolled himself up from his seated position and strode over to the cluster of students. It seemed they were discussing the events that took place before they reached their inner world. It was a test their souls would set up, to prove to them that they were strong enough and capable of going through whatever their minds placed in front of them to reach their base worlds.

"It was like I was in a foggy field. I could see about six inches in any direction, yet whenever I traveled, nothing would show itself." Harry was speaking quietly, his emerald eyes trained on his admittedly attractive teacher and fellow classmates. Hyerin simply nodded curtly before gesturing for him to continue, a steaming cup of tea situated on a small table next to her. The majority of the group was drinking an orange colored liquid that smelled strongly of pumpkins. Another cup of green tea was left untouched on the platter.

Sensing the cup of tea was his, Toshiro picked it up and walked silently to where Hyerin was sitting and stood behind her seat, leaning slightly on the cool stone wall.

"_We have matters to discuss,_" Toshiro intoned quietly in Japanese, taking a sip of the steaming liquid. Her head dipped minutely, but it was enough to show that she heard him and was aware of his statement and its urgency.

"I was getting so sick of these mind games; every direction I walked in, there was always more fog!" The hint of frustration in Harry's voice was evident. "I could just feel this white hot _anger_ about not being able to figure out where I was, so I screamed at the top of my lungs and said 'ENOUGH!' Then, the fog disappeared and I saw this… this world of mountains and a lake in the middle of it. In fact, I'm pretty sure I saw a place similar to it when I rode Buckbeak last year." Harry added, taking a gulp of his pumpkin juice. Again, Hyerin nodded.

"It's normal for the mind to play tricks on you. It's a defense mechanism as well as a test to prove to yourself that you can handle everything that goes on in your mind. In a way, you have just achieved complete control over your body – heart, mind, and soul." Her cool voice was soothing, like the soft wash of a lake's waters on its sandy shores. If any of the students' nerves were frazzled from the experience, her voice calmed them down.

"I went through something like that as well, Harry, except I was in the woods and I was running. I saw the corpses of my dearest friends and teachers all around me. My family, you and Ron." Hermione's voice pitched slightly in her panic before Toshiro slowly released calming waves to mollify the poor girl's wits.

She took a deep breath and pushed on. "I just ran and ran, it seemed like endless circles of death and… and I just wanted it to stop! So, knowing that I was in my own self, I willed myself to go deeper, to escape from the pain. It seemed like a defense mechanism, really, like you said Professor. I just wanted it all to go away." Hermione breathed in deeply before her shoulders sagged. Toshiro was listening in on the conversation idly while sipping his tea, his mind questioning what Hyourinmaru had said earlier.

'_They can reach their base worlds, it is possible. However, their reiatsu levels are still pitifully weak. An unseated officer would have no trouble obliterating this entire school if they wanted to. The problem with these wizards isn't that they aren't powerful…' _

Sudden realization dawned in Toshiro's mind.

'…_They just need to be trained.'_

~oOo~

It had been several days since the first Kido lesson. Seeing as it had been successful, both Hyerin and Toshiro were busy planning the next lesson and outlining what would eventually become the lesson plans for the Weaponry Combat class.

Said Shinigami were both currently in the classroom, letting a cold breeze sweep through the opening. Toshiro was leaning against the back stone wall, his eyes closed and his arms crossed; an untouched cup of tea sat on a small table next to him.

Hyerin was perched lightly on the cherry wood desk, her ebony locks swept elegantly into a chic slipknot at the base of her creamy neck. The steaming cup of tea next to her also lay untouched.

"What is it that you wish to speak with me so urgently about?" She finally raised her sterling gaze to look at his solitary figure. A small voice in her head voiced its opinion on his look. Indeed he looked extremely attractive in a pair of black slacks and a white button down shirt; the school tie that he usually wore was loosened and hung around his neck as more of an accessory rather than a part of a uniform.

It was questionable as to why he was dressed in the mundane version of formal wear, but Hyerin didn't voice her curiosity on that matter.

"The night of the first Kido lesson, Hyourinmaru brought up a valuable point during the conversation I had." He was speaking softly, the silky smooth voice was pitched lower than usual, and the words were almost coming out in a growl.

"And this point would happen to involve us?" Hyerin questioned, finally picking up her cup and taking a sip of the delicious drink. Toshiro let out a soft breath, causing the one strand that fell across his handsome face to stir gently.

"Is it possible for wizards to wield Zanpakutou when their reiatsu levels are at a level that even an unseated officer could beat them?"

Hyerin blinked in surprise. Truth be told, the thought hadn't crossed her mind in any way since her arrival to this school. "The real question is: would they be able to sustain another entity within themselves, even if the being is born from them, without falling into a mindless void?" Hyerin replied, leveling her gaze at the ice wielder that had now strode across the room to stand in front of her.

Toshiro nodded at her words, contemplating them. If her words were true, she believed that the wizards' souls – seeing as they were still alive – could not be divided to take on the stress that came with another piece of themselves being personified in their minds. The wizards' souls would be formatted for that if they died, but currently they were only responsible for one being: themselves. Should another entity be born within them and the soul's attention be divided, Hyerin believed they would fall into a mindless void. In simpler terms, the birth of a Zanpakutou in their current state would cause their souls to implode within them.

"Very well, I merely needed your input on this theory. If I'm correct, the rest of the school is awaiting the delegates from the other schools on the west shore of the lake. We should get going," Toshiro murmured softly, his body already doing an action he personally would never expect himself to do.

Hyerin took his proffered hand and gracefully leaped down from her perch on the desk, landing softly on the ground in front of him.

"It would be best if you changed either into the school's robes, your shihakusho, or the combat robes that we purchased. I personally will be wearing the combat robes." Hyerin had taken her hair out of the slipknot and was currently running her fingers through the fine threads.

Toshiro nodded, grabbed the suit jacket that he had placed on the desk, and stepped out of the room in order to shunpo to the dorm to get dressed for the welcoming of the other competitors.

Hyerin stared after him for a moment and took a quick glance at her hand. Her skin tingled with a newfound energy. A small smile tipped her lips before she took off for her room.

~oOo~

Dumbledore had gathered the students from his beloved school to stand on the sandy banks of the black lake. He stood in front of them, a cold breeze ruffling his grey beard.

"I'm sure all of you are wondering why you are all gathered here." A murmur of assent rose through the crowd of students, teeming with first years who all wore curious expression. "We are awaiting the arrival of the delegates from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang." Gasps followed through the crowd this time, accompanied by the soft squeal of a girl at the thought of the handsome students at the all-boys academy.

Just as he began to quiet his students, the soft sound of neighing horses filled his ears. A glance up at the sky confirmed his suspicions. "And we have the delegates from… Beauxbaton!"

The massive carriage was being lugged by horses of a monstrous scale. The shimmering coats of the mighty beasts shone brightly, detailing that these horses were very well taken care of.

As soon as the carriage landed, a boy in his early teens scrambled out, pulling a set of steps from beneath the carriage. He settled them at the door before scampering back slightly in respect.

The door opened, revealing a massive woman. By no means was she a heavy set woman – she was merely very tall and thick boned. Her burgundy-tinged hair was cut into a stylish bob and her fur coat stirred slightly in the cold air.

Toshiro, who was standing idly on the roof, was slightly taken aback. The woman was very large, quite possible the same height as Zaraki Kenpachi.

Hyerin was also situated near him, her crimson combat robes billowing behind her.

A flurry of females strutted out of the carriage door, their blue uniforms offering little to no protection against the cold English air.

"Dumbly-dorr! I 'ope I find you vell?" The large woman's voice was surprisingly deep. She offered a hand to the old headmaster, who took it and gently laid his lips to the pale skin.

"My dear Madam Maxime, Welcome to Hogwarts." Madam Maxime simply giggled deeply before pulling her hand away.

"As Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madam Maxime inquired, pulling her fur coat more tightly around her.

"He should be here any minute. Would you like to wait here and greet him or head inside to warm up?" Dumbledore graciously offered the option of choosing.

"Warm up, I zink." Madam Maxime nodded. "But ze 'orses…"

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher would be more than delighted to watch over these fine creatures.," Dumbledore answered serenely, gesturing with a hand for Hagrid to step forward. Madam Maxime nodded in approval.

"Do tell him zat ze 'orses only drink single malt vhiskey," Madam Maxime requested before leading her students up the grand staircase and through the door where a warm atmosphere and hot food would be served.

"Madam Maxime, there are a few people I would like you to meet. Two Japanese delegates are here on behalf of their country to teach a year of their magic in return for a year of ours. I would like you to meet Professor Toshiro Hitsugaya and Hyerin Choi." Dumbledore gestured to the crowd, not knowing that both figures were perched a few hundred feet above them on the spires of the great castle.

Toshiro's frown deepened slightly when the headmaster did not put surnames before his actual name. Nonetheless, he nodded for Hyerin to follow him and used a brief sequence of shunpo-powered leaps to get on the ground.

With a swish of his crimson combat robes, he was left standing in front of the massive woman, Hyerin a half step behind him.

"Good evening, Madam." Toshiro inclined his head politely in a semi-formal bow. Hyerin simply nodded at the woman, not feeling up for formalities.

The girls from Beauxbaton swooned at the handsome, exotic man. His unruly white hair falling artistically over his sharply defined face and his piercing gaze made their knees weak. The stunning shade of teal that stared coldly back at them was mesmerizing.

Before the woman could respond to the sudden appearance of the male and his companion, the creak of old wood and rushing water pierced the silent air.

A void seemed to appear in the midst of the black lake, as though a plug had been pulled. The water rushed downward before the loud creak of wood came again, followed by a massive ship; the style appeared to be early 17th century, Toshiro guessed in his mind.

The ship churned through the waters easily, letting the wooden oars carry the massive ship to the shores of the lake.

As soon as the ship breached land, the entrance to the ship opened and a short, slender man with a coontail hat perched on his head totted out.

Toshiro kept his gaze on the man, sensing that something about him was making Hyourinmaru restless. The ice dragon felt caged, pacing in the recesses of his master's mind like a restless tiger.

"Dumbledore! How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?" Toshiro winced internally at the man's voice, though his mind was focused on the man's arm. A strange, dark reiatsu oozed off of it. The slimy mass of energy spiraled around the man's arm once before plunging back towards the flesh. Only mere moments after his arrival, and Toshiro did not like him already; the dark reiatsu only added to his suspicion.

The man had a voice that was high, but the way the man formed his words had informed Toushirou that this man was cunning and had a silver tongue.

"And who is this lovely young lady?" Karkaroff smiled toothily at Hyerin, never giving Dumbledore a chance to return his earnest greeting.

"These would be the delegates from Japan that I told you about in the letter I sent you last week. Please welcome Professor Toshiro Hitsugaya and Hyerin Choi."

Karkaroff bent to take Hyerin's hand and raise it to his lips, but Hyerin clearly had other thoughts. She deftly twisted her hand so that they only met with a brief handshake. Karkaroff seemed a bit taken aback but nodded, grinning and patting Toshiro on the back before striking a conversation with the old headmaster.

Hyerin wrinkled her face up and wiped her hand on her combat robes.

"Disgusting, unctuous, _creep_," she muttered before heading inside, her robes flowing out behind her tiny form

Toshiro simply sighed but followed after the raven-haired beauty, feeling the beginning of a very long night begin to creep up on him.

~oOo~

End!

I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while! -bows- I recently had to restart my classes and then I found out that they fucked up my schedule and had put me in a business class when I should be in my advanced engineering class. God, that class is god awful, I would rather shoot myself through the head than take that class. Unfortunately, because my counselor is a stupid whore who needs to learn to stop kissing ass to the fucking dean, I can't get out of that class. I'm stuck in a fucking business class for the rest of the year. -jumps off a cliff-

So, I'm super sorry about the late update! Please forgive me, and I will TRY to update soon, but NO GUARENTEES!

Ja ne!

SimplyFalling


	12. Introduction to a Warrior's Class

Hey, I'm back! I won't be writing too much up here, it's all in the bottom note.

I don't own anything.

Enjoy! Read and Review!

Chapter 12: Introduction to a Warrior's Class

The Great Hall swarmed with activity, the arrival of the other schools stirring the students. Several girls were squabbling over a tube of lipstick that they wanted a famous athlete to sign, while Weasley was spazzing about said athlete. Either way, both Shinigami could care less. Toshiro had long since alerted Hyerin about the strange, oozing reiatsu that was emitting off of the Durmstrang Head.

"It's odd – it is in no way connected to the man's reiatsu. It's more of a…" Hyerin struggled, looking for the correct word to supply into the blank.

"Parasite?" Toshiro offered, his teal gaze glancing over the heads of the students. The Durmstrang party had settled themselves in the Slytherin table.

Hyerin nodded in agreement, her crimson combat robes rustling slightly as she surveyed the students. The Beauxbatons girls were whispering and pointing at the handsome Captain of the Tenth Division, while the Durmstrang males were laughing raucously at something Malfoy had said.

Both Hyerin and Toshiro were situated near the outskirts of everything, preferring to wait everything out in a place where maintaining a defensive position was the easiest. Hyerin noted with mild interest that the caretaker, Filch, was pulling out four chairs to sit alongside the Headmaster's own ornate seat.

"Are more Headmasters coming?" she murmured softly, her eyes trained on the staff table where Dumbledore and the other Heads were conversing jovially.

Toshiro shook his head minutely. "Not that I'm aware of."

His cool response set her on guard. If there were no other schools that will be participating in the event, then who were the seats reserved for? She doubted any of the Heads favored a student enough to allow him or her to sit amongst the teachers. Her thoughts were pulled to a halt when Dumbledore rose from his seat to make an announcement.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts, and – most particularly – guests." Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled as he said this. "I take great pleasure in welcoming you to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."

Toshiro caught Granger snarling something under her breath when a scoff sounded from the party of Beauxbatons.

"The tournament will officially be opened at the end of the feast," Dumbledore said, his smile warm and inviting. "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"

Upon returning to his seat, the old headmaster engaged a conversation with Karkoroff. Toshiro was relieved that Hyerin had taken the time to alert the cooks in the kitchens that they would not be eating and there was no need to prepare any foods for them.

Judging from scent, a greater variety of food had already been set out upon the tables. The scents of shellfish and meat pies filled the air as both Shinigami kept their guards up. Though it seemed like a natural position, both officers were ready to call upon their blades and would already be in a defensive position once the blades themselves materialized. Hyerin had her hands crossed neatly over her thighs, yet should her blade be called upon, Volum would materialize in her right hand and would cross the entirety of her body in a straight diagonal from left shoulder to right hip.

Toshiro's stance seemed a bit more lax; it was impossible for him to find a position that would not look out of place to a careful eye. Instead, he opted for his left hand to stay in a pocket and his right hand to hang free. If Hyourinmaru was needed, the ice blue blade would appear with his tip touching the floor. The position may have been more relaxed than Toshiro wanted, but he had enough trust in his reflexes that if he needed to block a strike, his right hand could easily come up with his life partner in hand to parry the stroke.

Dinner commenced without interruption. Hyerin watched with amusement when the Beauxbaton female who had scoffed during Dumbledore's speech asked for a dish from the Gryffindor table. Ron Weasley seemed to have found a new infatuation. Hyerin could breathe easier now that her most prominent pursuer had been taken out. It seemed that nearly half of her original group of admirers was now going after the Beauxbaton girl. The female's waist length silvery-blonde curtain hung like washed silk and her blue eyes and brilliant smile seemed to draw the male population ever closer as a fly is drawn to a bright flame.

Her attention was drawn away from the scene when Toshiro cleared his throat softly to garner her attention. She turned her silver gaze to where his teal stare was focused. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion at what she saw.

The two seats that Filch had taken upon himself to bring out were now occupied by two male figures.

"Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch," Toshiro growled softly under his breath. Something didn't feel right about this Crouch figure – something was very wrong with him. Hyerin started slightly, a gasp suddenly lurching from her petal pink lips. Crouch… that was the name of the man she'd stumbled upon when searching through Moody's mind!

Her reiatsu flared suddenly and Toshiro cast a slightly alarmed look in her direction, his bright blue eyes guarded and weary. Hyerin blinked at him and shook her head; they would need to discuss this in private chambers.

Toshiro nodded at her silent reasoning and turned his attention back to the tables, catching a last glimpse of the food before it was wiped away. Tension seemed to suddenly fill the cavernous hall, and all four tables fixed their attentions on the head table.

"The moment has come." Dumbledore's blue eyes had lost some of the joyous glimmer that normally occupied them, replaced by a sheen of weariness. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket – "

There was a soft ripple of confusion at the mention of a casket.

" – to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce – for those of you who do not know them – Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation." Soft applause was heard throughout the hall. "And Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

Another, much louder round of applause thundered through the room and both Shinigami were on guard. Clearly, the students didn't find this Crouch character too pleasant either. Dumbledore went on to explain that both men were going to become part of the judging panel to score the champions' efforts for each event.

With a gesture of his hand, Dumbledore summoned Filch forward. Filch had been lurking in the shadows, holding something the entire time. Toshiro had noticed him a long time ago but put him off to be the least of his worries.

The caretaker now came forward, holding a large chest that was encrusted with jewels. It looked like a family heirloom of some sort – it was definitely very old.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman, and they have both made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year and they will all test the champions in many different ways… their magical prowess, their daring, their powers of deduction, and of course, their ability to cope with facing danger eye to eye."

At the last statement, silence dawned upon all the guests in the room. It was so absolute, it appeared as though the entire room and its occupants had been turned into stone.

"As you know, the champions will compete in the tournament, one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how they perform each of their tasks and the champion with the highest marks after task number three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."

With that said, Dumbledore tapped his wand at the antique casket. The heirloom suddenly became liquid as the gold and precious metals slowly melted away, leaving an ordinary looking cup in its wake. The cup would have been very undistinguished other than the fact that the cup was overflowing with tongues of blue fire.

"Anyone wishing to submit themselves as a champion must write their name and school clearly and drop it into this goblet. Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours to put their name forth. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the ones it has judged most worthy to represent their school. The Goblet will be placed in the entrance hall and will be accessible to all those wishing to compete."

Dumbledore's eyes seemed to gain a guarded and almost warning glint in them as he spoke again.

"To ensure no underage student will succumb to their desire to compete, I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet so only those seventeen and older will be able to compete."

Hyerin let out a soft giggle. Both she and Toshiro were easily eligible to gain access to the cup; the Headmaster said nothing about the otherworldly not being part of his 'Age Line.'

As the speech came to an end, everyone began to get up, leave the dining hall, and head to their respective common rooms and dorms. Both Shinigami were standing quietly, waiting for the chance to speak to the old Headmaster. Yamamoto had sent in a message to Hyerin just earlier saying that one of them would need to alert Dumbledore that they would be entering into the competition. It was a decision on Yamamoto's part that Toshiro would be the one to enter. After all, stating this in Yamamoto's words, it would do no good to put a fair lady in such menial matters.

Hyerin was slightly miffed. It was simply Yama-jii's way of saying that she wasn't an expendable part of this mission.

There was a slight commotion near the doors where the Durmstrang party was looking at Potter with eyes that were clearly not impressed. Moody seemed to understand and aided the boy. Though neither officers particularly trusted the old man, they would need to live with it.

At last, Dumbledore headed to his chambers for the night. Toshiro nodded at Hyerin and they both set off, trailing after the Headmaster for a reasonable distance before allowing themselves to garner his attention.

"Headmaster Dumbledore." Hyerin nodded to be polite to the older man.

Dumbledore looked over at them through his spectacles. "To what do I owe this great pleasure in meeting with you two tonight?" His voice was cautious.

"It has come to our attention that our Headmaster at Shino Academy has requested that I enter into this competition on behalf of our school," Toshiro answered, dipping his head down in respect.

Dumbledore didn't say anything for several moments, surprise evident in his reiatsu. "It doesn't surprise me in the slightest, actually. Your Headmaster – Yamamoto, if I'm correct – owled me this morning requesting this proposal as well. You are but a fourth year, are you positive that you are able to face such challenges?"

"I am more than capable of taking care of myself," Toshiro informed him, scowling slightly as the Headmaster seemed to refer to him as both young and inexperienced in one sentence. He was a captain, dammit. If he couldn't win this tournament with his eyes blindfolded, he would never hear the end of it from Matsumoto if she ever found out.

"You will need to enter your name, though I must be there to momentarily disable the Age Line for you," Dumbledore answered serenely before walking away from the two. A pulsating vein popped up on Toshiro's pale forehead at another indirect insult to his age.

Hyerin laughed lightly at him before gesturing for him to follow her. "You can't have forgotten that we have our Battle Tactics class tonight, right?"

Toshiro sighed irritably before following after his beautiful partner.

~oOo~

All the students from the Kido class had gathered around the door to the Kido classroom. Their teachers hadn't informed them to go elsewhere, so many had just showed up there.

The door opened to reveal Professor Hitsugaya, dressed in a strange black robe and white overcoat with a teal chest strap to secure… a sword?

The golden trio had actually come together, huddled near the doorway and talking about what they expected this class to be like.

"Well, I heard that Professor Hitsugilia can wield a sword!" Ron was chattering excitedly, completely ecstatic about learning how to 'Kick Ass.'

Before they could continue, the door opened revealing said professor. The students talked for a minute before they followed their silent teacher into the room.

Professor Choi stood in the corner of the room, a metal trapdoor opened at her feet. A rope ladder hung from the edge and extended down into a seemingly never-ending abyss.

"One at a time, the training grounds are through this door," she instructed. Malfoy swaggered up first and cast her what was assumed to be a charming glance before beginning the journey down. One by one, all the students eventually descended into an enormous, desert-like room.

They all stood around, gasping in awe at the sheer size of the room before there was a soft rustling sound. Several people turned their faces up to the noise, and a few screams came from the girls. Their professors were sailing through the air, falling at an alarming rate. Their black robes and white overcoats fluttered madly as they plummeted.

With utmost grace, both Shinigami landed, allowing the pressure of their fall to go through the balls of their feet rather than their heels.

The students stood in shock, staring at the two. Hyerin grinned slightly and did a luxurious stretch which garnered several student's attentions to her back. A shiny, midnight black blade was strapped to her back.

"Welcome to Battle Tactics," Hyerin called out to the crowd of student. "If you haven't already guessed, you'll be learning how to wield a sword and dagger work."

"…She's fucking awesome," Ron breathed out, getting a small smack to the head by Hermione. Harry chuckled at his friends' antics before turning his attention to a large cabinet to the professors' immediate left.

"Tonight you will be picking out your swords," Toshiro said, his deep baritone still causing several girls to go weak in the knees. "We have several different styles to choose from, but you must pick carefully. The sword you choose tonight will be the sword you use throughout the rest of the year."

The snowy haired man walked to the cabinet and produced a single key, which he used to unlock the chest. Inside, swords were lined up neatly, ranging from blades small enough to use as a fruit knife, to huge broadswords taller than first years.

"We have selected several different types for you to choose from," Hyerin explained. "The Tsurugi: an enormous double edged sword. The Nodachi and Tachi: regular katana-based blades. The Wakizashi and Tanto: a medium blade and a short, knifelike blade respectively. You may take your pick. Three at a time and form a line."

Malfoy and his goons went first, all three immediately going for the massive Tsurugi swords. They were made to be wielded by heavy, muscular men who were light on their feet. Though they clearly didn't have the characteristics to wield such a sword, they selected them anyways.

Several people selected the Tachi, a slightly shorter version of the Nodachi, though those who had long arms and were tall enough selected those.

The time came for the trio to select their blades. Hermione immediately went for the Tanto – the smallest of them – and selected one with a handle made of wood from a red Sequoia tree. Ron, though he wished to get a Tsurugi, settled himself with a Tachi, something acceptable for both his weight and height.

Harry peered at the swords carefully, taking Hyerin's words to heart. The Tsurugi was way too big for him, but the Tanto was too small. The Nodachi felt alright with him, but the balance didn't seem right. With a start, Harry realized that no one had picked a Wakizashi. The medium length blade seemed perfect. Not too heavy, but not too light either. The handle was cool in his clammy hands and the blade gleamed under the light.

"Good choice."

He turned to see Professor Hitsugilia standing near him. He had a Nodachi strapped to his back, though this one was more ornate than the ones that were set out. Harry blinked once before turning to join Hermione and Ron with the rest of the group.

Before Hyerin could give her next set of instructions, a voice called out from the back.

"I challenge Potter to a duel!" Malfoy came forth, lugging his massive Tsurugi with his skinny arms. With a defiant cry, Malfoy yanked on the huge sword and swung at Harry.

Harry barely had enough time to unsheathe his sword before a black blade sliced into his vision. Silence reigned supreme in the room as Hyerin stood stock still, her sword angled sharply at Malfoy's sword.

"I did not say for you to begin. You will suffer your punishment. Sai!" she growled coldly.

Malfoy's hands were instantly drawn behind his back, the large Tsurugi landing softly in the fine sand. Malfoy's face contorted into rage as he knelt before the short female.

"My Father will hear about this!" he screeched, writhing about as he attempted to free himself.

"Be our guest," Toshiro drawled, an ice blue blade in his hand as he casually flicked the stray hair out of his face. The girls swooned at his confidence and coolness.

"If you do not follow our orders to a period, you could end up much worse. I am quite sure you enjoy having all of your fingers and both of your ears, am I correct?" Hyerin growled lowly. She met Malfoy's light grey eyes for a moment before stalking away to join Toshiro near the front.

"The Shino Academy Battle Tactics Class has officially begun."

~oOo~

End!

I'm super sorry, this was extremely hastily written. I tried to get this to you guys sooner, but something tragic happened recently and it's just been rough. My teacher died, my friend was convicted of child molestation, and just two days ago, one of my college friends had committed suicide. She had hung herself from her curtain rod in the bathroom… and it's just been really rough. I'm really sorry, once again if this chapter isn't to your liking. This was actually the beginning scene for the Battle Tactics class, the next chapter will actually have the entire scene. (Sorry Dragon Silhouette for getting your hopes up!) Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I need to get going to the funeral now.

Ja Ne,

SimplyFalling211


	13. Combat Training and an Unexpected Twist

Chapter 13: Combat Training and an Unexpected Twist

"Tonight you will be learning the basic sword stances, otherwise known as Kata," Hyerin called out, blatantly ignoring the struggling platinum blond that sat at her feet. Draco's face had turned into a marvellous shade of magenta – bordering on purple – with his rage. "We will begin with the thrust, seeing as it is the easiest to teach and the easiest to perform when first starting out with sword combat skills."

With a simple nod of his head, Toshiro stepped forward, his eyes as calculating and confident as ever, and unsheathed his blade. The rasping hiss of the metal against its scabbard was heard clearly throughout the cavernous room and sent chills up several students' spines.

Following instructions, the students began to unsheathe their blades for the first time, many faces lighting up at the sensation of holding their new partners. Granted, these blades were not sentient beings and the only two present were the ones that belonged to the Shingami, but it was still a gratifying experience to feel the thrum of power that seemed to resonate from the gleaming metal and the reassuring weight of it in their palms.

Toshiro was ready to begin the class when his partner's reiatsu flared up. A quick glance in her direction told him she was feeling rather mischievous.

"You have two choices," Hyerin started suddenly, "you may watch a formal duel between Professor Hitsugaya and I, or you may go ahead and begin your training."

His teal eyes hardened fractionally. Was she crazy? They'd never outlined this and even so, they may even need to put a barrier up to protect the children. The reiatsu levels - even in a formal duel of honour - between unseated officers would cause enough reiatsu to seep into the surrounding air and easily suffocate an innocent, mortal bystander.

"Bloody Hell, Harry! Did'ya hear that? They'd be willing to show what a fight between two fighters of their calibre would look like!" Ron's eyes gleamed with excitement. Even Hermione, though slightly sceptical about the entire ordeal, seemed to have her interest piqued at the situation. Harry kept his eyes quietly on the two foreign students, his emerald eyes trying to figure them out. Something was off about them, and it was beginning to show.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" The students replaced their sword back into their scabbards and were cheering, placing bets on who would win. The taller, muscular male or the dainty, flighty female at his side; the votes were going both ways yet they were based on the two major factors being size and strength.

"What the hell are you doing?" Toshiro growled lowly, his eyes slightly lidded as he glared at her.

The goddess simply grinned at him easily. "You wanted to see me fight, right? Then have a practice spar with me, ne?" She flicked her ebony locks out of her silver eyes and unsheathed her dark sword. Overlooked until this moment, Toshiro noted with mild interest that her sword was just a few inches longer than normal katanas and Zanpakutou alike; it was the same as Hyourinmaru.

"Master, are you willing to go through with this?" Hyourinmaru seemed to unfurl his wings in his mind, arching his back as if to prepare himself for a full scale battle.

Toshiro soothed him with a gentle reply. "This will not be a full on battle, you shouldn't worry."

The dragon gave a snort that blew drifts of fluffy white snowflakes to the snow covered floor. "You don't know what she might try on us." Hyourinmaru growled lowly, the lust for blood slowly became evident in his mind. The ice dragon was never a fan of instigating a fight, per se, but he wouldn't say no if the opportunity arose.

"You must remember that we are in a classroom that Urahara sent us," Toshiro murmured in his mind,"which is, in all actuality, a pocket dimension. Not only that, but you need to keep in mind that we have a crowd of fourteen year olds surrounding us; I highly doubt her stipulations for this duel would involve anything more than unreleased Zanjutsu and Hakuda. Otherwise we would be putting both the students in danger as well as our identities."

This succeeded in placating his lifelong companion. The dragon seemed slightly miffed at not being able to have a fight to stretch his wings in the open sky but he knew it couldn't be helped.

"Will you accept, Captain of the Tenth Division of the Thirteen Court Guards?" With the way she had stated his full title, Toshiro simply couldn't say no. He turned to face her, Hyourinmaru's blue tinged blade held in front of him in a defensive stance.

"What are your stipulations?" Toshiro glanced idly at the staring crowd, silently saying the incantation for the powerful shield charm in his mind.

"Unreleased and Hakuda, limited Hoho," she responded coolly, holding her Zanpakutou so it crossed from left shoulder to right hip, its tip facing the ground.

'She's letting me start the battle,' Toshiro thought. 'Her position indicates that she is ready for both an offensive or defensive strike; Very smart.' His eyes narrowed fractionally before he took off, his wooden sandals meeting with the sandy ground once before he crossed swords with the goddess.

Harry inhaled sharply. It seemed as though Hitsugilia had apparated right there. He crossed nearly twenty yards in less than a second. The metallic 'shriing!' of metal clashing with metal struck his ears in a way that could only entail the strength that was exchanged in that blow.

"He just apparated!" Hermione whispered in astonishment. "How did he do that when Dumbledore has strictly set wards that prohibit apparition?" Her eyes had widened in her pale face. Not a single student had seen the man even take a step to begin the battle, yet the dainty female was ready and met the attack head on with a swift parry.

The two foreign students leaped apart, seemingly balancing on air for a split second before disappearing all together, only to reappear several meters from where they'd originally begun. Several blows were exchanged, though it was clear the silver eyed beauty held the upper hand when it came to speed. Her lithe body moved as fluidly as water rushing over a precipice - it looked as though she was dancing.

The snowy haired male easily complemented her speed with his strength. Each clash instigated by him sent sparks flying as high as some of the clouds that were painted onto the walls.

Black and silver clashed repeatedly in the still air, sparks flying as the students continued to watch. Malfoy had even stopped in his struggles to get free in order to watch every second of the fight, his grey eyes wide with terrified awe.

On the other hand, Toshiro was finding it to be a challenge to keep up with the tiny woman. Her stature was much smaller than his original and it was hard to keep an eye on for more than a few seconds at a time. It was one thing that he sort of missed about being smaller. The speed that came with being short always ended up giving him the upper hand in a fight where speed was the only difference between life and death.

'She is an enigma in herself: no defined fighting style,' Toshiro mused. 'Another thing that I need to add to my list in order to unravel her.' He caught the tell tale flare of reiatsu right before she would have struck at his head. Hyourinmaru whistled through the air, his tip gleaming with barely hidden murderous intent. As much as Toshiro tried to soothe him, battle lust never failed to awaken his most primal instincts in order to survive. In his eyes, Hyerin was a threat right now, even if he didn't particularly mind her company in any other circumstance.

"You aren't so bad, Captain Hitsugaya," the minx taunted him, speeding throughout his peripheral vision like a hyperactive Yachiru, never staying in place for any set amount of time. Toshiro snorted softly in her direction before feinting left and pivoting on his heel and thrusting out, using the strength from his hips to power the blow. It was effective, he managed to nick her side and tear through her Shihakusho.

His speed was a surprise to Hyerin. As her rules stated, he used limited amounts of Shunpo, yet he was still fast and light on his feet. Sand billowed up around her as she skidded to avoid his sudden right handed thrust, a bruise beginning to form where his sword's blunt edge slammed into her hip bone.

It was amusing, really, how he focused so hard, trying to read what her next move would be. Her strategy was simple; Figure out the first sequence you'll do and build from there. She had no true origin for her style of fighting, it combined several different aspects from many styles. Her flickering movements and the idea to stay in her opponent's peripheral vision was given to her whilst she watched a friend train with a jian. The tassel was always seen in the corner of one's eye, yet it never stayed there long enough for you to focus in on it unless you risk taking your eyes off the enemy.

The weight of Volum was generally the surprise factor. His guard and pommel alone weighed a hefty eight pounds, not typical for many of the swords that were created. Because of the heavy base weight, which was taken for balance from the Korean culture, Volum's blade was naturally slightly longer than most, extending about five and three-quarters feet from the hilt to tip. The longer sword allowed for longer reach while still keeping the blade balanced. It was odd, seeing such a small woman wielding a massive sword which was actually nearly half a foot taller than herself.

His shape was taken from the Japanese: slightly more curved toward the tip than most Katana and Zanpakutou in unreleased. The tip wasn't curved to make a significant change, but should the enemy be impaled on his gleaming edge, the wound was sure to take several months to heal from the deep, gouge-like rips that would be the end result.

"I'm just warming up," Toshiro responded, swerving to the right to avoid her Shunpo powered roundhouse kick. If it had made contact, there would be no questioning about the fact that his jaw would be a mangled, bloody mess.

The students gasped and a few screamed when the raven haired student-teacher suddenly disappeared and reappeared just a second later, aiming a kick to Hitsugilia's head. Hermione had her mouth covered by her hand, her eyes squeezed shut. The Tanto she'd picked out earlier lay forgotten on the sandy floor.

Hyerin smiled slightly to herself; he was proving himself to be a more proficient fighter than she'd originally planned. If he kept this up, she may just ask for him to spar for real later on in this room. The rustle of clothing caught her attention and she leaned backwards, almost doing a complete backbend to avoid the thrust that would have pierced her abdomen if she wasn't aware. Not only is he a very good fighter, but he was also very good at hiding his reiatsu. He'd toned it down, whether for the fact that students were in the room or for the sole factor of keeping an upper hand with the element of surprise, she couldn't tell.

"Will we be releasing Shikai at any point this year?" Hyerin mumbled. "If so, it would be better off if we started in the beginning. She ducked her head sideways to avoid a slash to her collarbone, watching with agitation as Hyourinmaru sliced off a few slivers of midnight colored hair.

"Absolutely not! You should know better than to even bring up that point," Toshiro growled lowly in return, his mind sensing that the students were growing weary of the constant sword play. It seemed now would be a good time to add some Hakuda for good measure.

In a series of blindingly fast Shunpo movements, he was behind the Goddess, who was still processing his words. He threw several punches, watching with satisfaction as she parried every single one of them, though she failed to block his kick that slammed into her side. With a barely audible grunt, he wrapped an arm around her waist, intending to throw her to the ground and end this spar with him as the victor.

However, as if sensing what he was about to do, Hyerin threw a slender arm around his neck just as he threw her overhead. If she was going down, then apparently so was he, with a broken neck to boot.

They plummeted, neither bothering to use Shunpo to stop their freefall from a height of two hundred and fifty feet. The students' screams echoed through the cavernous room and several had their wands out, ready to cast the Levitation Charm.

Toshiro growled, the arm that was around his throat was weighted down with the entirety of her own weight. However small she was, a throat was a rather precarious hold on him. Back to back, her hanging from his throat and him gripping her forearm, they fell, neither bothering to really struggle at this point.

At the last possible second, she let go and tumbled to the ground in a somewhat graceful manner, somersaulting before rising to her feet lightly. He landed, not bothering to really plan out the way his feet should have been placed; rather, he was content to just kneel there to catch his breath. That was one of the best spars he'd had in a while. Hyourinmaru hummed in contentment. His master was safe and the spar did a fairly decent job on expelling a sizeable amount of the massive storage of energy.

Toshiro stood, flicking the stray strand of hair out of his face and loped easily to where Hyerin stood polishing her sword and resheathing him. She turned as he walked closer, her eyes had lost the mischievous glint in them and her face was slightly more relaxed. She bowed to him, a formal bow to signify the end of the match. He returned the bow and the students erupted in boisterous cheers around them.

"Bloody hell, Harry! Did you see the way she was about to kick him? And the way they fell, locked only by Professor Hyerin's arm around his throat?! I want to learn how to kick ass like that." Ron was chattering excitedly, his grip on his Tachi was bone white from the tension he was feeling. The exhilaration of watching such a spectacular display of swordsmanship was still pumping wildly through his veins.

Harry had to agree, if this was what the class entailed, even if it was only the beginning class, it would definitely be a surprise factor in the war. A sword to Voldemort's throat could very well be the way this fight ends.

"That was a formal dual between two fighters of our calibre," Hyerin voiced out. "The apparition act that we used was called Flash Step, but I must forewarn you that you will not be learning it in this class and also it is a well kept secret in the Japanese Ministry of Magic, so you can't even hope to find a way to illegally learn to do it." She quieted the students with a wave of her hand. She let out a breath before continuing. "Now, shall we begin class?"

~*~ oOo ~*~

"Longbottom, your thumb goes on top of your fingers, not inside of your fist. How do you expect to hold your sword like that?" Toshiro was helping the poor fourth year, whose face was determined. It was obvious the only class he truly excelled at was Herbology, and Neville was determined to squeeze another class in with it.

To Hyerin's surprise, Toshiro was actually making an effort to be nice to the students. He had attempted, and failed, to make his voice warmer. By the third round of Katas, his voice was back to being as frigid as the subzero belly of his companion. He chose his words carefully though, and Hyerin took what she could, grateful that he was making at least a start with the children.

"Hey, watch this Harry!" Harry turned in time to see Ron lifting his sword overhead in one hand and his wand in the other. It was too late to try to stop whatever Ron was trying to do. It was almost an instinct now to guess that this wouldn't end well.

Pointing his wand at Malfoy, who was finally allowed to be freed, Ron shouted out his spell. "Expelliarmus!"

The massive Tsurugi that Malfoy had embedded in the ground shakily rose up and began to dart around the room like a captured hummingbird. The sword was whizzing straight towards Ron when Harry finally realized what he was going to do.

"Ron! Don't!" Hermione's voice chorused with his own, both watching with terrified eyes as the Tsurugi's deadly tip zoomed to Ron, who held his feet apart and his sword ready to parry the blow.

"Bakudo no. 4: Hainawa!" A yellow blur jetted across Ron's vision, the chain like spell slamming into him and yanking him downwards. Before anyone else could react, the snowy haired man had leaped up and parried the magic-boosted sword with his own blade. The icy blueness of the sword itself seemed to emanate agitation.

"What the hell, Weasley? What kind of stunt was that?" The sharp voice of Hyerin cut into the now silent air. "You could've injured yourself very severely and I can't even hope to think your healer would be able to save you in time."

Even Harry flinched at the sharp retort. Hyerin seemed very angry, seemingly radiating the aura of a Goddess of War. Her bright grey eyes danced with unseen flames and the air around her seemed to come alive and cackle as though it were filled with static charge.

"I… I was j-just going to b-block the big sword… Nothing harmful…" Ron replied meekly from where he lay on the floor, his face a pale, bone white. Hermione huffed under her breath and crossed her arms under her bosom, turning away from the scene as though she'd had enough of her friend's stupidity.

"Nothing harmful? If I'd not stepped in, your entire face would be gone," Toshiro snarled lowly, standing from his tense crouch. That was far, far too close for comfort; it was their mission to protect both the school and the Boy-Who-Lived, and sadly, this task involved protecting those that are also closest to him.

Ron blanched even more at the thought before raucous laughter came from behind him.

"Aw, the poor weasel can't even protect himself from a little knife," Malfoy sneered contemptuously, his cronies laughing all the while. Hyerin was ready to silence the bickering before it even started; she was willing to do anything to make the oncoming headache go away.

"Silence. I believe that class will be over for today. You are dismissed," Toshiro sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose, his eyes were closed. The students complained for a moment before they all headed towards the wall in one large, yet still grouped, crowd. In a few moments, the only two beings left in the room were Hyerin and Toshiro themselves.

"Well, that was… exhausting," Hyerin groaned, hopping up to sit on one of the large boulders that dotted the area. Toshiro could only nod his agreement, not exactly trusting himself to say something pleasant if he voiced his opinion. If there was one thing he really did not like, it was people who did not think their actions through.

They sat in silence for a few moments before a loud beeping sound made itself known from within the folds of Hyerin's shihakusho. She pulled her phone out, letting the device sit in her dainty hand for a second before tapping the screen.

"A group of Hollows are at the eastern most tip of the lake, Let's go." she said quietly, jumping down from her perch. Toshiro nodded, relieved to find an outlet for his mounting stress.

~*~ oOo~*~

"Soten Ni Zase, Hyourinmaru!" The dragon bellowed its battle cry as it surged forwards, spiralling through the air before snapping its jaws at a particularly pesky flying Hollow that bore a striking resemblance to a pterodactyl.

Hyerin was busily slicing through a Hollow that was reminiscent of a wild hog, except on two legs. The white mask crumbled from the vicious strike that she'd delivered.

"Dovohol Volum!" She cried out into the inky darkness. At once, the alpha wolf that Toshiro had come to recognize as the tall male he saw rather often as the classes progressed leaped from the tree line. The foot-and-a-half long canines crunched through each small Hollow as though he were eating pieces of dog treats.

The hoard of Hollows was mince meat in a few moments, the two Shinigami making quick work of them. It was too late when the realized that they weren't alone.

Clapping sounded from the darkness and they both turned, their swords held readily.

To their surprise, one of the students that had been with them earlier stepped out, the tell-tale blonde curls and radish shaped earrings giving her identity away. The blonde fourth year's voice was dreamy and held a trance like quality to it, her blue eyes were cloudy yet held a light of intelligence in them.

"My name is Luna, you were teaching me earlier. I must say, Mr. and Ms. Soul Reapers, that was a marvelous show of banishing those Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. They are very dangerous you know."

~*~oOo~*~

End!

I hope you guys liked this chapter! I'm trying to find a regular updating schedule (and I don't think it's working… but I'll keep trying). You'll find out why I let Luna be the first to know about them later on, it may not be in the next chapter, but you'll find out… eventually.

NOTE! IMPORTANT NOTE! PLEASE READ!: I have not told anyone this besides my beta, but I will be taking part in NaNoWriMo this year, so I am warning you, NO CHAPTER UPDATES IN NOVEMBER. I'm really sorry in advance~

Anyways, you know I love to see those reviews coming in, so Read and Review! I see you eyeing that little review button, so don't hesitate to click and leave me some feedback!

Ja Ne!

SimplyFalling211


	14. Let the Chaos Begin

I'm -finally- back with a new chapter!

Thanks so much for my amazingly awesome beta, Dragon Silhouette. Without her… this would not be possible. She motivates me with her own stories (Which you guys should check out if you haven't!)

(Beta's Note: Aw, thanks :D)

Disclaimer: -Checks anything I own- Nope, Bleach and Harry Potter are still not among my own personal belongings. :'(

**Chapter 14: Let the Chaos Begin.**

Toshiro turned to face the fourth year completely.(1)

"How did you find us?" His tone was surprised, pitched only slightly higher than his usual frosty baritone. Hyerin was watching on with curiosity as well, her sword still grasped in her hand in case there was another danger lurking anywhere, though she didn't sense one.

"I followed your spiritual signatures; I've always known how to," Luna responded, taking a tentative step towards the two Shinigami.

"I've also seen you two patrolling sometimes at night, along with a white Nargle and a Grimm. Professor Trelawney will be most distraught over the fact that you parade around with a Grimm at night. And Nargles are extremely dangerous – you should stay away from them. I should know, my mother was murdered by one," Luna muttered softly, her words nearly being carried away by the wind.

"Luna, by Nargles… are you referring to Hollows? Perhaps, because Hyemi walks on two legs and looks vaguely human like, you might be referring to an Adjuchas or Vasto Lorde level Hollow?" Hyerin stepped forward, her index finger pointed to her temple. Her fingertip glowed a luminous, silver-streaked black before she drew her finger away, a thin tendril connecting her temple and finger.

"I summon you, Hyemi." Hyerin's voice was soft, yet it held a note of authority that rang true to her word's core. With the soft sound of a gentle wind blowing through the trees, her Hollow counterpart was standing next to her. Luna stepped backwards, her gaze widened in surprise.

"That's a Nargle! Professor, you must-!" Luna was cut off by Toshiro.

"This Nargle that you speak of is actually half of Hyerin's soul. Where we come from, it isn't completely uncommon to see soul based beings wielding Hollow powers. With the fact that they have and can control these powers, they can also split their soul – with the second half of the soul becoming the personified being of their Hollow." A gentle wind stirred through his hair gently, the silence in the clearing casting an almost eerie chill to ghost across the three.

"So... Professor... You're saying that-" Luna's bright blue eyes were filled with a desire to learn more, yet her fear and past struggles were preventing her from taking that vital step forward. Her mother's death was vivid in her mind.

"Together, they create one being," Toshiro finished for her, stepping towards the trembling girl. Hyemi stood beside her Shinigami counterpart quietly, not saying a word throughout the entire exchange.

"I've heard that you and your father go on ... expeditions to kill the creatures you speak of. You must be referring to the Hollows. Tell me, how do you exterminate the Hollow on your hunts?" Hyerin stepped forward as well, allowing soothing waves of her dark reiatsu to ripple through the air; the dark waves were controlled with an iron bound mind and that control was all that was needed to soothe Luna's reiatsu flares. The poor girl was going through a mental breakdown.

"I… Father and I have been hunting these Hollows you speak of for a really long time, ever since I could walk. He told me that they were fearsome creatures with a hole in their chests and that they eat those who could never pass on to the afterlife." Luna took a deep breath before continuing. "He told me the place you were supposed to go was a place called Soul Society – what most of us know as Heaven. We always used a soul-catching device that father created himself to lure the, er, Hollows towards us with a bait and then kill it off with the Killing Curse. No one has noticed that he's been using that curse to kill them, so we've used them ever since. He told me that he met a Soul Reaper a long time ago, when he was only a teenager, and that the Soul Reapers, which he later found to be called Shinigami, were in charge of moderating the traffic of souls. Is that definition right?"

Toshiro nodded in confirmation when a thought struck him. "Did your father ever tell you the name of the Shinigami he met?"

Luna seemed to think about the question for a bit before shaking her head and replying softly, "Not that I can remember, but you could ask Father yourself. A Hogsmaede trip is coming and I can arrange a meeting between the two of you and Father. I have no doubt that Father would be more than willing to meet the kin of the Shinigami that gave him this knowledge." She seemed a bit more stable now so Hyerin had reigned in her reiatsu.

"Um, if you don't mind, but may I ask what those swords are? Father only told me that they are the easiest way to banish Hollow." Luna's voice was inquisitive, as if she thirsted to know more about this side of the world.

"These are Zanpakutou, or soul slaying blades. What your father said was true: they are the choice weapon of Shinigami because not only do they destroy Hollows, but they also purify them. All Shinigami are able to wield one, since it is born from their soul, but the type can vary. You have those that can heal and those that are used mainly for offense or defense." Toshiro unsheathed Hyourinmaru and the blade gleamed in the silvery moonlight. "Another division into the type is also which element it is a part of. For instance, my Hyourinmaru is an ice-type, the strongest one at that – or as far as I know." Toshiro cast a meaningful glance at Hyerin. Since her arrival and the new thought that there were Divine beings that were higher up than him that could wield Zanpakutou, he had no idea if there was a stronger ice wielder somewhere out there. The thought soured his mood a little.

"Soul Slayers, huh?" Luna looked thoughtful for a moment. Her radish shaped earrings glinted softly in the meager light as she turned to Hyerin. "So, if he's an ice type, may I ask what your element is?"

Hyerin grinned slightly, her smile looking more like a feral snarl with the nearly unmistakable glint of fangs poking out from her upper lip. "Shadows. My element is the Dark and its residents: Shadows, Night, Darkness, whatever you want to refer it as." She hefted her blade up and the tip gleamed ominously; just looking at the midnight-colored blade foretold a death full of pain and torture.

"Both of you looked so powerful when you were fighting the Hollow, and the… creatures that you summoned – are all Zanpakutou like that?" She was so filled with questions; here she was getting all the answers from two foreign exchange students – or Shinigami who were undercover as students. Everything made sense now.

Toshiro shook his snowy head in answer to her question before speaking. "That was what the Shinigami would call Shikai, or first release. Ours only happen to animals when we summon them, with hers being a wolf and mine a dragon. However, there are also several Shinigami who have waves of their energy being their attack, or a disintegrating blade that changes in a substance. For instance, I know a Shinigami whose blade will change into Ash and another whose blade turns into a storm of sakura petals that act like a million finely-honed blades. Each Zanpakutou is different and reflects upon the soul of its wielder."

Hyerin noticed he was careful in choosing his words; it was clear he didn't want her to know about his rank so he avoided using names and titles. Tension was thick in the air; Hyerin realized that he felt slightly uncomfortable with revealing so much information.

Luna nodded thoughtfully, her blonde curls bouncing with the gesture. "I see. Well then, I think it is best if we turn in for the night. I will owl Father as soon as I can to arrange a meeting." With that said, the teen turned away and walked back into the tree line, heading for the tall spires of the castle which could be seen from the small clearing.

As soon as they felt her spiritual pressure far enough, they both visibly relaxed, with Hyerin nearly dropping to sit on the cool, grassy earth. The tension at having told so much information still lingered, but it wasn't as strong now.

"I never thought that telling a teenager about our identity could be so…" She couldn't even think to finish her sentence.

"Nerve-racking? I understand. Something is off about her... It almost seems as though she's known about us all this time and this was just a refresher. It's as if…" Toshiro sighed quietly, not desiring to finish his sentence.

Hyerin nodded to herself. "You think she's an Old Soul, don't you?"

The both let the question hang there for a while. Not only were Old Souls rare, but they were also extremely valuable. Old Souls were souls who have been reincarnated into more than 5 different time periods. Their locked memories could be triggered at the slightest things, and they could hold valuable answers about the past – which was what made them so sought after.

Old Souls were also extremely hard to come by. If the reincarnation didn't destroy their locked memories after their deaths, sometimes their rebirth would destroy it. For the soul to remain completely unscathed during both processes was far and few. It was possible for maybe one soul in every seven thousand years to become one. To come upon one so young was an astonishing feat and would need to be told to a higher authority at once.

"Father and Mother will need to be alerted of this immediately," Hyerin sighed, pushing herself away from the tree she had been resting upon. Toshiro nodded, watching with calculating eyes as his partner sauntered off into the darkness. Something in his heart stirred at the sight of her, something he hadn't felt for another person aside from his childhood friend Hinamori and his Grandmother. Even Hyourinmaru stirred in his mind, getting the gist of his master's thoughts.

**"Master…"** The dragon's rumbling voice stirred his thoughts like a cold breeze. Toshiro shook his head, both to clear his head and in a tiny amount of self-denial. This was a mission, dammit! There was no time to build relationships!

**"… You _just _admitted to it, Master. I see it in your thoughts."**Hyourinmaru laughed slightly, watching with amusement as his young Shinigami struggled with his thoughts.

_"I did not admit to it,"_ Toshiro tossed back at his life partner, beginning the long trek back towards the castle.

**"There you go again, backing it up with more self-denial. I've seen it in your thoughts at various other times. I know you think she's pret-"**

Toshiro locked up the dragon in his mind before he could finish his sentence. As much as he almost didn't want to admit to it, he knew his partner was right. His heart lurched against his ribcage at the thought. He didn't want to deny it, but the circumstances weren't exactly in his favor.

He was beginning to show affection for Choi Hyerin, Goddess of Shadows. And he knew that deep down in his icy, frozen heart, that he couldn't stop it.

~oOo~** (Time skip! Skipping all the way to where the Goblet is spitting out names. Don't like me having skips? Suck it up.) (Beta's Note: That's the spirit.)**

The Great Hall was bustling with the excited chattering of the students. Tonight was the night where the Goblet would tell who the three champions were. Unbeknownst to the students, there was going to be five champions this year.

As Dumbledore was going on with his opening speech, the two Shinigami were situated on the outskirts, which had become their customary spot. Hyerin was barely listening to the Headmaster, instead choosing to focus on the school's layout and being aware for danger. Her reiatsu went out as an extremely thin, gossamer-like net surrounded the entire campus. She was aware of every leaf that stirred in the cool breeze as well as the hunting Acromantula pack that was making its way towards the lake's eastern border.

Toshiro, on the other hand, was paying attention to the speech. It was only right of him to actually listen if he was planning to take part in it. It seemed that the Headmaster had completely forgotten to remove the age line so he could put his name in, but early this morning, Toshiro had risen from his bed and dropped his name in. The goblet did not spit his name back out because it knew, as a (very weak) sentient being, that the captain was well above the age barrier.

Time went on, the original three champions were selected. Fleur Delecour, Viktor Krum, and Cedric Diggory were all chosen as the three champions. It wasn't until the Goblet turned blue fire one more and spat out two more slips of paper that curiosity began to overtake the students.

Harry's name was announced. Gasps went around, quickly dying away into silence as the boy slowly stood from his seat and stepped forwards. Dumbledore seemed angry, the deep set wrinkles in his forehead more pronounced than usual. Those blue eyes, now dark with what appeared to be worry and grief, read off the last name.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya, Shino Academy."

~oOo~

Dumbledore whirled around and glared at the transfer student, blue eyes meeting up with teal.

"How did you put your name in? I never removed the age barrier for you to even begin with."

Toshiro stared at the old Headmaster with bored eyes. "I wrote my name and school down on a slip of paper and tossed it in. The flames went blue for a few seconds and then it died away, simple as that." Toshiro had a niggling little feeling in the back of his head that the Headmaster was onto his and Hyerin's identities. Hyourinmaru wholeheartedly agreed with it.

_**"The old man kind of gives me the feeling that Yamamoto gave us when we first entered into the Academy. You know, that feeling where he's testing our abilities, though it seems as if he's doing it a bit more indirectly and going a little bit at a time, confirming his suspicions as they come along. I would not be surprised if he called a meeting between us and Hyerin by tomorrow night, most likely alongside his 'most trusted' teachers."**_ The dragon's rumbling voice sounded like thunder echoing in the back of the young Shinigami's mind. Toshiro nodded at his partner's words.

The other champions were all huddled near the fireplace – that is, the original three. Harry was standing awkwardly by himself a little ways between the champions and where Dumbledore and Toshiro himself stood.

"And you!" The headmaster turned and faced the young teen, who balked slightly at the sheer anger in the headmaster's tone.

"I didn't do anything, Professor!" Harry pleaded, his green eyes were wide and his pupils were slightly dilated – no doubt from the recent turn of events. Toshiro searched the boy's reiatsu, not finding a single flare or trace that would indicate that the teen was lying about not putting his name in. He tucked that piece of information away for later use, saving it for the inevitable meeting about his identity between himself and Hyerin.

He was surprised it took the old wizard this long to even show a hint that suggested that he knew the two transfers were odd. It wasn't like they were absolutely putting all efforts into hiding their identities. The Stealth Force would have been subjected to this mission if Yamamoto wanted no one to find out about the Shinigami.

He turned abruptly when a flare of Hyerin's reiatsu caught his attention from, quite literally, beside him. His teal gaze swept the entire half of his side of the room before pausing right next to a painting of a young Japanese girl dressed in a kimono that was dancing gracefully in her frame. Almost directly next to it, hidden by the shadow and the flickering lights of the flame, was a set of silver eyes.

So, Hyerin was watching the entire scene. Toshiro had no idea how she was sitting there so calmly (or where the rest of her body was, for that matter), but he was slightly glad that she was prepared to intervene if things got out of hand.

_'Child's play, master. This tournament will be as easy as the first year curriculum at the Academy,'_ The dragon sounded smug, for what reason, Toshiro couldn't pinpoint. In his mind, he disagreed, for once, with his partner.

_'I doubt that; Judging from what the files I read over this school and its education, the curriculum for the Academy seems much harder than this.'_

~oOo~** (Hey! Guess what? I almost stopped it right there but decided it was too short so I'm skipping all the way to the first event. I didn't think it would take this long, and actually it would've taken longer, but I'm getting impatient and angry, so… just deal with it. Harry and company have already found out about the dragons, okay?) **

"…alright, now just stick your hand in and pull out the dragon that you'll be fighting…" Bagman ushered softly, allowing each champion to reach in and pull out their opponent. Most of the dragons seemed rather calm, barely letting out a puff of dark smoke.

"Ah, I was going to tell you, we'll be doing something that involves something a bit more dangerous to some of you, but doesn't matter to the rest of you. Attached to the belly of your beast is one of the five senses that you will be going into the arena without: hearing, touch, taste, smell, and sight. The easiest one, of course, would be taste; the hardest being sight. So cross your fingers and hope you don't pick up the dragon with 'sight!'" Bagman cheerfully announced, holding out the bag to Toshiro. The Shinigami pulled his dragon out, garnering a hushed gasp from Bagman.

"I am sorry for you, kid. You got the Russian Broadwing, and attached to him… is your loss of sight."

Fleur and Krum cast him smug looks yet they looked rather happy with their picks: loss of hearing and taste, respectively. Harry had pulled the Hungarian Horntail, attached to it was the loss of Touch. Diggory pulled the Swedish Short-Snout, the loss of smell tagged to the scaly underside.

Cedric had gone first, retrieving the egg without much difficulty. His only issue was he had no idea when the dragon would breathe the fiery tongues of blue-grey at him. When a dragon was ready to release a breath of fire, he should have been able to smell something almost akin to the scent of an extremely humid forest. This was attributed to the fact that just seconds before the fire is shot forth, all moisture that was in the dragon's breathing cavity, throat, lungs, and mouth were dried at incredible speeds and released alongside with the fire.

Krum was second to go, the deafening roars from both the crowd and the dragon itself was loud enough to give way to a headache bigger than the one Matsumoto could give him. The Quidditch prodigy was fast in finishing his task, seeing as the sense that he'd gone without didn't affect him in this case.

The silvery-blonde Veela champion was sent into the arena third. Her loss of hearing had caused the dragon to nearly overwhelm her in a raging storm of green fire. She was deaf to the world; the dragon and the crowd having no effect on her whatsoever. Nothing spectacular happened when she was in the field. She seemed slightly timid but was determined to get that golden egg. As a result, she stayed in the arena far longer than the original Hogwarts and Durmstrang champions had.

The black haired youth paced the room restlessly. Aside from Toshiro himself, he was the only other person in the tent. Harry's reiatsu seemed nervous and tense, and his skin was a pale, milky color. Toshiro could only guess the thoughts that raced through his head now. There was an earlier incident in which Granger had burst through the tent's flaps to wish her friend good luck. A journalist by the name of Rita Skeeter had managed to get a photo of them and would undoubtedly put that in her next published piece, whatever type of garbage that was.

At last, the calling for the fourth champion sounded over the loud cheering of the crowds. Harry cast both his fellow student champion and his professor one last look before heading up the ramp to face his fanged opponent. His slightly faltering steps indicated that he was nervous but was going to go through with the challenge anyways. Toshiro admired that. As a Captain for one of the best-led squads, he valued any recruit that was confident of themselves. Confidence in battle could give them that one final push to deliver that killing blow.

Despite the obvious nervousness the other champions had exuded as they waited their turns, Toshiro was sitting quietly, not worried in the least about what would happen. Chances are that the dragon would get enraged, sensing Hyourinmaru's presence in his mind. The mighty ice dragon would rear up and be all fearsome and batter the youngling back into its rightful place as a subordinate. They would give the crowd a good show on attaining the egg and it would be a happily ever after. Once again, as the crowd cheered uproariously for something that Harry did, a flare of his partner's reiatsu (or something similar to hers) caught his attention. He lifted his eyes to stare through the part between the flaps and caught a glimpse of black and white – Hyerin's Hollow was standing just outside the tent.

"What's wrong?" Toshiro turned his attention fully to the Hollow. He was immediately on guard. If Hyerin needed to contact him and had sent her Hollow to find him rather than contacting him directly herself or sending a Hell Butterfly, something was wrong.

**"Young master."** The Hollow bowed to him, her warped voice seemingly slightly less pronounced than Shirosaki's. **"Mistress is alarmed; she has spotted and confirmed suspicious activity where the dragons are caged but cannot afford to leave her position from within the stands without garnering attention to herself. She has given me the message to tell you to be on guard and have your Zanpakutou ready in case of emergency procedures. She reports that this may be the time to reveal our identities."** Hyemi, finished with her mission, bowed once more before blurring away, most likely to investigate the dragon keepers and the dragon pens.

As Toshiro thought about it, Hyourinmaru butted into his thoughts. 'I've had a strange prickling sensation that something was going wrong,' the dragon rumbled in his mind, spreading his wings as if to take to the skies. He pawed and paced at the arctic landscape that made up his young Shinigami's inner world before pausing, hearing something that Toshiro himself could not catch. A stricken look crossed the dragon's face.

_**'Master… I may be mistaken, but I do believe that the dragons who have already lost their eggs to the champions… are being tortured into submission.'**_ His life partner's words were hoarse and throaty with disbelief. A soft sound escaped the captain's throat.

"_Kuso_….." Toshiro snarled under his breath, his anger rising and showing in the form of extremely cold air. How dare these petty wizards even dare to tame a dragon through torture and submission? The dragon was an honorable and fearsome creature; its loyalty was unsurpassed and this was what the wizards subject them to? Unacceptable.

Cheers erupted from the arena, signaling that Potter was successful in his endeavour. Toshiro noted silently that he was also the fastest so far, even though having no sense of touch would have been the second worst one. Walking without feeling anything beneath his feet must have felt something similar to mid-air shunpo.

His name was called out shortly after and Toshiro sighed, withdrawing his wand from the inside of his sleeve and walked forward. As soon as he'd stepped into the arena, a blanket of darkness seemed to envelope him. No big deal, he could sense the dragon's looming figure as if he really could see it. The crowd was silent now, watching, waiting to see the outcome of a champion battling against his dragon without really seeing it. It seemed that the arena was enchanted to strip the opponent of their sense as soon as they step foot into the rocky terrain.

_"Whoosh!"_ Toshiro leaped out of the way nimbly, his mind analyzing the dragon's figure in about a tenth of a second. Using his heightened senses, he was able to build a picture in his mind of what the terrain would have looked like. The reiatsu signatures of the other champions were still visible and he would see exactly where they stood during their matches. The dragon's tail, having missed its mark, crashed into the side of the arena, sending splinters of wood flying.

_'And here comes the fire in 3... 2... 1._' Toshiro had a bored look on his face as he evaded the attack. The flames never had a chance in touching him, even without him using the slightest amount of shunpo. He could easily sense the anger rising in the dragon. The mother was fiercely protective of the egg, he could tell that much. It wasn't much longer before it roared its rage and the message finally came forth.

**"Why do you continue to evade my attacks? Vermin! You dare to call yourself a wizard after torturing one of my kind to bend to your will? I will tell you now that I will not allow you to do this!"** The dragoness growled and snarled at him.

Deciding that he had had enough, Hyourinmaru reared up and spoke, bellowing at the female dragoness with surprising force and authority.** "You will not dare to call my master a wizard! He is a Shinigami and I am proud to serve him as his faithful partner."**

The dragoness reared back, surprised at how ferocious and protective Hyourinmaru was over Toshiro. The captain smiled slightly, seemingly enjoying this match as he whirled and flipped, shooting no spells and merely evading everything the dragoness aimed at him with a warrior's prowess.

**"You dare to submit to a human? Dragons are meant to be free and roam the skies. Humans should be our pets, not the other way around!"** The black dragon stalked towards the Shinigami, her tail lashing back and forth. The crowd watched with baited breath, astounded that Toshiro was even alive. Even more so when they all realized he was completely unscathed.

**"Our bond is something you will never understand. Live a few more centuries and perhaps you will."** Hyourinmaru growled back before retreating back into his home. Toshiro sighed before jumping up, flipping in midair to evade what could have been a lethal blow to the head by the serpentine tail. He used mid-flight shunpo to accelerate himself like a bullet, heading for the dim reiatsu which he knew was the egg. The dragon could barely turn her head to look at the speeding Shinigami before he picked up the egg and his vision returned in an abrupt and slightly dizzying array of colors.

The crowds were silent for a few moments before they burst into a huge uproar. Clapping, shouting, screaming, and stomping were no longer distinguishable in the sea of sounds.

However, before Toshiro could even think to relax, he felt it. He just knew something snapped. He turned his gaze westward, where he knew the dragons were.

Pointing his wand to his throat and magnifying his voice so it was louder than anything else, he let out one sentence.

"Everyone, get away from this arena. _NOW!_"

By the time he'd finished that sentence, he was already subjected to an onslaught of attacks. Dragon roars filled his ears, chorusing in with what he knew to be a pack of wolves howling a battle cry.

With one last smile, he let the last restraints fall away; it was now or never.

~oOo~

End! Whew. That's a pretty long chapter, ne? I hope you guys liked it!

(1) By the way, if you haven't already noticed (because some of you keep PMing me about this) I've altered the story so that Luna is a fourth year. I don't see why that's so hard for you all to wrap your minds around…

And, as you can see, I'm getting flat out impatient. Usually I love writing build-ups, but I couldn't stand how long it was taking, so I'm sorry if you didn't like me having the time skips, but I can guarantee that the actual meat and plot of the story can now begin. You can't even begin to understand how happy I am about that.

And I've been thinking about this, what do you want Hyerin's bankai to be called? I have my own thoughts, but I'll leave this out for the open and see what you guys think. Dovohol Volum means 'Shadowed Blood Wolf' Don't ask me what language it is, just know that's what it means. My friend gave me that name, for a heads up so I'm actually not even sure if it is from a known language. -shrugs-

Questions are fine, flames are too. I don't care if you've got something mean to say, it just means that you're jealous of me :3 Leave me some reviews, you know that's what motivates me to write~ Like, seriously, it takes like a minute to write 'Good Chapter.' and click 'Post'.

Ugh, long Author's Note, I'm sorry you guys! I think that's it… so until December! Or perhaps sometime in November if I have some time leftover from NaNoWriMo. I doubt I will though….

Ja Ne!

SimplyFalling211


	15. Identities Revealed

Sort of hastily written. Not a lot to say, if at all. Everything is in the author's note at the bottom.

I love my beta to death! Dragon Silhouette is freaking amazing. There. I said it. Without her, this would be impossible.

Disclaimer: Unless I somehow receive the ownership of Bleach and Harry Potter for Christmas, they will forever be owned by Kubo and Rowling.

Chapter 15: Identities Revealed

Shrnng!

The hiss of metal against scabbard rang loudly through the air. Dragon roars filled his ears and the chorus of a wolf pack on the hunt echoed in his footsteps. Toshiro's mind spun, his mind working overtime in order to compute everything that was going on around him. He held Hyourinmaru in an offensive position. Not a moment later was it taken for granted as a dragon's talon clashed into the reiatsu-imbued blade. A familiar voice sneered in annoyance.

"Oi! Shinigami! Where's Kurosaki? I was looking forward to beating his ass back into a bloody pulp like last time!" A shock of blue hair and a jaw that was only partially covered in a bone mask flashed through his peripheral vision. With a muttered curse and a swift turn, he intercepted Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez's blade easily.

"Espada…" Toshiro growled lowly, a shadow flitting over his head for a moment and he could only register that a wolf had leaped over them in order to intercept an angry Chinese Fireball from attacking his open back. The Espada grinned manically at the young captain.

"Damn Straight! Though you won't be nearly as fun as Kurosaki, I'm sure you'll occupy my time nicely!" The panther leaped away and used Sonido. It was a simple tactic and Toshiro easily caught up using Shunpo. As they sped through the air, exchanging blow after blow with neither gaining an upper hand, the crowds below them were frantically trying to get away. The Russian Broadwing from earlier hissed angrily at Hyerin, who was spinning and twirling around the dragon effortlessly. The dragoness lashed with her tail, missing Hyerin by nearly 10 yards.

"I'm sure I will occupy your time well," Toshiro responded coldly, calling the basic release for his companion.

"Soten Ni Zase, Hyourinmaru!" The ice dragon spewed forth from his sword's deadly tip, heading straight for the blue haired Espada.

"Think that's gonna work for me? Pathetic." Grimmjow laughed like a madman before charging head on towards the spiraling mass of ice.

"Cero!" A ball of energy began to form in the warrior's hands, growing larger at an alarming rate. Toshiro cursed – if the wizards were caught in the aftershock of a Cero, there was no way their puny, frail bodies could withstand such an enormous amount of power.

"Get them out of here!" Toshiro yelled out, knowing full well that his partner heard him. She spun once more, slashing the dragoness's scaly hide before racing down to the frenzied mess. Sensing the impending danger, Hyerin inhaled deeply before spreading her reiatsu out in a tidal wave-like ripple, lifting several wizards clear from the ground and practically throwing them as far from the arena as she could. Just as she tossed the Golden Trio away from the arena, she turned in time to parry a blow from the wounded Broadwing.

"Bloody Hell! What the hell is happening?!" Ron's face was twisted into one of awed fear, his eyes widening as he watched the spectacular display of dragons, both real and elemental, and wolves fighting alongside his two professors. Harry had the breath yanked from his lungs as he landed on his back from the abrupt toss. His glasses were crooked and he straightened them absentmindedly. What was going on?

"Get away!" Hermione frantically grabbed onto Ron's arm and began to lug him away from the scene. A large piece of the stands thudded into the ground just a few feet from where they were standing. The wood groaned as it rolled, splinters continuing to fall away until it eventually reached the precipice and disappeared into the valley where the arena was situated near.

Hyerin only paused to make sure none of the wizards she'd thrown away here were mortally wounded before turning back to the fight that was unfolding before her. Her snowy haired companion was locked in a fight with a blue haired Espada even as he charged up a clearly powerful Cero. Throwing up a shield around the arena for an extra precaution, she turned fully to face the three remaining dragons. Despite knowing her companion's natural connection to the dragons, they were currently known as a threat and a threat must be eliminated before it can gain the upper hand. Two of the dragons lay on their sides; steaming dragon's blood gushing from savage rips into the rock hard hide. Her wolves howled in victory before turning to aid in the assassination of the other three.

Meanwhile, Toshiro was busy attempting to stall Grimmjow from releasing the Cero for as long as he could. As soon as he realized that Hyerin was set in place and everyone was safely out of harm's way did he allow the panther to release the pent up power.

The energy exploded around them in a frightening and awe-inspiring blast. The initial blow took away the wooden arena and about fifteen feet of the ground that it had sat upon. Both Hyerin and Toshiro threw their arms up to their faces to protect themselves from the flying bits of wood and high-speed winds the explosion created.

Before the smoke had a chance to clear, Toshiro sensed that Hyerin was already on the move, rushing to aid him in his battle. He flared his reiatsu in warning, telling her to stay exactly where she was.

"Take down the dragons and make sure that the students and teachers are fine!" His voice echoed loudly through the dusty air. He felt his partner's reiatsu flicker, though it was tinged with reluctance and regret before she changed her course and doubled back, heading to where the wounded Horntail was rising onto its feet once more.

"Where's the fun in using a Cero if I don't get to hurt anyone?" Toshiro's blue eyes widened before using Shunpo to evade a potentially fatal slash to his open back.

'Damn it! I need to concentrate! Hyerin can take care of herself and the wizards are fine.' Hyourinmaru snarled in agreement with his master, rearing up onto his haunches and preparing himself for another attack.

"Your fighting style isn't like Kurosaki at all!" Grimmjow yelled out. "You just like to play sneaky and evade!" He raised Pantera in a deadly arc. Toshiro smiled softly, more to himself than to his opponent.

As soon as Grimmjow was within a distance that close combat would be super effective, Toshiro released his attack.

"Guncho Tsurara."* As those words left his lips, he knew immediately that something had changed. He watched as the icicles formed, noting that there was some sort of strange reiatsu that was imbued within the water that he used. With a sudden start, he realized that this must be the water from the black lake, and that whatever creature resided there was lending him reiatsu of its own. The icicles were no longer a clear, blue-tinged crystal structure, but rather a blackish-blue hued structure that closely resembled the stalactites found in the back recesses of a cave.

With the deadly force of the sixth Espada heading his way, Toshiro didn't pause to think of the after effects of the combined reiatsu. He released the flock of icicles, watching in fascination as they didn't go through the body entirely, but rather stayed exactly where they were as soon as they were imbedded within the flesh.

Grimmjow glanced down in surprise at the sudden attack before smiling manically despite the several foot long gashes that littered his body. He let out a laugh, a harsh, unnatural sound that started deep within his breathing cavity and worked its way up his throat.

"Didn't know you had it in ya." The blue panther reached up to yank the one that had stabbed him just to the left of his sternum. Had it actually hit, the Espada would most likely be dead with the force behind the icicle and the fact that the sharp bone would have pierced his heart and left him dead on impact. He wrapped clawed fingertips around one cold spear and gave it a sharp tug. His laugh turned into a sharp growl of pain as the icicle did not budge from its entrance wound.

"What the hell?!" The panther let out a yowl of pain as he attempted to pull out the ice crystal with both hands. With each tug, the next always harsher than the last, a small eruption of blood appeared from the wound, staining the rocky terrain below them a deadly scarlet.

Toshiro couldn't make heads or tails of what was happening. Most of the instances in which he'd used this attack, they had never actually stayed within the entrance wound. They always tore through his enemy's body entirely. Despite the confusion, Toshiro grinned.

"I suppose I did waste your time, didn't I?" The ice prodigy proceeded to Shunpo towards the wildcat, intent on finishing this battle. It wasn't until he was about to deliver the killing blow when Hyerin shot up to meet him and intercept his blade. He blinked in astonishment and reeled back a few steps.

"Don't kill him; we can interrogate him about his lord's intents towards this school and its residents." Her usually sweet and melodic voice was dull and monotonous; it sounded as if she were exhausted.

Below them, Toshiro could see the last of the dragons, the heavily wounded Hungarian Horntail, was being completely shredded by three monstrous wolves. The earth seemed to quake as the beast fell onto its side. The blood that the wizards have become so fond of was streaming from the slashes and bite marks that covered its scaly hide.

"If there is one, there will be others. I can assure you that he isn't the only one that has infiltrated these grounds. Though I can't sense their reiatsu, which I believe has something to do with the alliance, I know that others that are his level and higher could be watching us. Not to mention that this one has caused a great deal of trouble," Toshiro said coldly. The tension was so dense, it felt like they were swimming in molasses.

"Would you rather wait until they attack us? Or perhaps we may be able to retrieve answers from a hostage, like him." She jerked her chin in the direction of the bleeding cat. His blue hair had a shock of red that splattered through the silky locks and he continued to hack up blood from a wound puncture. He couldn't move, much less speak or breathe properly. It was only sheer will power that kept him standing on his solidified reiatsu.

Toshiro could understand her logic, though the hatred for the being that stood bleeding in front of him was ready to bubble over. If he stepped past his partner, he would easily be able to decapitate the cat and end his misery. Despite Hyourinmaru growling in the back of his mind, he begrudgingly lowered his blade and unwound the chain and crescent from his arm. With a sigh, he released the energy that held his sword in its unreleased form and returned it to its scabbard, ignoring the seething reptile he kept caged in his mind.

"You're right. Bind him and take him to the training room. We will interrogate him before the sun rises. However, we must restore order back and we owe the teachers an explanation." Toshiro smiled wryly at the last part before turning to face Grimmjow.

"I…can…-cough-…still…fight," The panther spluttered out before spitting out a mouthful of crimson blood. The magic imbued spear tips were still embedded deeply within his flesh and the effects were still obvious.

"Bakudo No. 63, Saju Sabaku," Hyerin intoned. Toshiro watched impassively as the yellow chains erupted from her palm and bound the Espada in its vice grip.

She gave her partner one last look before taking their prisoner and used Shunpo to head towards their training room. There, he would sit with several binding and protective spells to keep him in place. Toshiro wouldn't bat an eyelash if he'd been told that the Goddess would summon her Hollow as an extra precaution while she came with him to explain to the professors exactly what happened. Hyourinmaru snorted in his mind, irritated that he couldn't finish off his enemy.

"I don't think Soifon would approve of how long we actually stayed under cover…" Toshiro sighed into the cold air.

'When does she ever approve of anything that doesn't follow the lines of a different cat?'

At that, the icy captain cracked a smile as he headed off in the direction of the Great Hall, where he knew the teachers to be restoring a semblance of organization within their student body.

~oOo~

It was comical when the teachers had stepped into Dumbledore's office only to find the tall, white haired student and his foreign companion with him. In the old headmaster's office. Drinking tea, nonetheless.

The foreign beauty wrinkled her nose in disgust before setting her cup down."I don't understand how you English can stand that heavy tea. Not to mention that you actually enjoy putting cream and sugar into it."

Toshiro said nothing but continued to sip at his tea. His mind was too busy trying to figure out a way to inform the teachers but not inform them of too much to care about the heaviness of the tea.

As one, the teachers all pulled out their wands and pointed them accusingly at the two students who doubled as professors themselves. It wasn't until Dumbledore gently waved his best fighters down that they actually lowered their wands.

'Like I would let those tiny, insignificant wands hurt you,' The ice dragon rumbled lowly, letting out a puff of warm air stream from his nostrils.

Toshiro silenced the dragon and motioned for the teachers to sit in the chairs that he'd set up for them.

"What are you? Who are you?" The greasy haired potions professor sneered, stepping forwards to point his wand in a somewhat threatening manner at the frosty male. Toshiro sighed before batting the wand out of his face irritably.

"Isn't this a repeat of your classroom incident, Snape? I suggest you don't even try to use your mind probing technique. We both know who will come out victorious should it come to that. However, what we are is none of your concern. Who we are, however, may just have a lot to deal with you. The majority of what we have already said is true. We come from Japan and are some of the very finest warriors that come from our school." Toshiro started to talk, hardly batting an eyelash as the probing force that he'd come to associate with the potions master poked at the iron bound shield around his own consciousness.

With a flick of reiatsu in his direction, he'd sent the professor sprawling onto the floor, several feet away.

"I can assure you that I gave you ample warning to not try that again. I have trained my mind for many years and there is simply no way for you to breach the wall that I have constructed." The captain growled coldly, taking a sip of the lukewarm tea that a house elf had given them.

"How do we know that there actually is a school?" The transfiguration witch stepped forwards, her pointed hat and wand only held at her waist. Ready, but completely and utterly non-threatening.

"Contact our headmaster if you so wish. Unlike your society, Japan has already embraced the fact that others have abilities and skill far higher than the average mind. These individuals possess reiatsu and are thus trained by the government in many schools to obtain a complete mastery over their gift. The mundane and the magical have embraced the other's presence and realize that one cannot exist without the other," Hyerin supplied, tossing her slightly bloodstained hair over one shoulder.

A collective gasp circled around the crowd of teachers.

"T-that's impossible. The Ministry of Magic should have interven-!" McGonagall spluttered out, stopping when the female held up her hand.

"Unlike your Ministry, our Ministry has fully authorized the interaction between the mundane and Magical. Wizards and fighters work right alongside the Non-magical in their everyday life. Those who are exceptionally talented, like us, are sent to school for further training where we learn to harness our gift into offensive attacks and to channel and maximize our energy through that of weaponry. This weaponry is what you see here." Hyerin gestured at the two swords that sat snugly between the shoulder blades of the warriors.

The old headmaster finally stepped forward and held out a hand. "May I?"

Toshiro snorted softly before shaking his head, his snowy locks swaying gently with the movement.

"It is considered the greatest of offenses when another person touches the weaponry of another. You see, our weaponry is a part of us, born from the use of our gift. Giving it to another is only going to lead to disastrous endings," Toshiro answered, rejecting the old man as politely as he could. Using the word 'gift' in place of Reiatsu made explaining this much easier.

"Then what occurred earlier this evening…" Dumbledore paused, allowing the conversation to pick back up with an answer from the small female.

"As you are in the middle of a war, though it does seem like a rather petty fight over nothing, our society is in the midst of a war of our own. What just happened was just a taste of the true potential of the havoc that is currently being wreaked upon our world." The teachers looked horrified. This was only a taste of what was happening? An entire arena and several feet of land under it had been obliterated. When they'd been attempting to establish order, it was difficult to even breathe with the amount of power that filled the air.

"Impossible. No one could be that powerful to-" The potions master was cut off when Toshiro glared at the man, halting him in his tracks.

"I can assure you that this is just the very beginning. What you saw was like walking on wet sand to assess if the water is the right temperature. It was just a glimpse of a true battle. We've suffered many grievous losses on our side, more so than you have. I have seen many die in unimaginable ways and even seen an ally get an arm shoved into their stomach. Our war is on a much higher scale than that of yours," Toshiro replied. Hyerin seemed to nod in agreement.

"However, according to our records, your dark wizard is attempting to align himself with the leader of the army that we are fighting. We suspect that upon the formation of an alliance, you will be added into the midst of this terrible war. Our mission was to infiltrate this school and prepare you to the best of our abilities within the time allotted. Believe me, with what occurred today, we do not have much longer," Hyerin added, taking a sip of the lukewarm tea and wrinkling her face once again.

"An alliance? Who is the leader of your army?" Dumbledore seemed to want more answers.

"The leader of our enemy is Aizen. He was a defected professor among our ranks and eventually turned his back against us, taking with him two other powerful professors named Ichimaru and Tousen. I suspect that they are aligning themselves with your Voldemort in order to usurp our society with the element of surprise," Toshiro answered. The group sat quiet and the two officers allowed the information to sink in. It wasn't until Professor Binns stepped forward to ask a question.

"So, are the teachers going to be involved with these classes as well?"

~oOo~

End!

I am SOO sorry for not updating sooner. I epically failed at NaNoWriMo and then a lot of chaos has happened. I eventually sat down for 45 minutes and typed this up, because I somehow get the feeling that I won't be doing another update until next year at the earliest. Anyways, leave your input on the ending question~

You know that reviews keep me going! Read and Review!

~SimplyFalling211


	16. In the Midst of Desire

I'm back with a very poor excuse of a chapter. I just felt the need to release something, but as you can probably tell, it's really short. I am so sorry, but please be kind and enjoy reading!

Note: My beta is fucking amazing.

Beta's Note: Yes, I fucking am.

**Chapter 15.5: In the Midst of Desire**

The question hung in the air, no one stepping forward to answer it. Truth be told, the idea had crossed the minds of both brilliant strategists, yet neither really took a liking to the idea. It went along with the idea of wizards trying to wield Zanpakutou and, as a result, damning their souls into a mindless downward spiral that would essentially break the person from their deepest level until the destruction reached the surface.

The idea of teachers and professors partaking in the lesson was both absurd and very slightly bizarre. Training the students wasn't that hard; they were young, their minds could afford this type of stress and the never-ending pressure. The professors, on the other hand, had been using this type of magic for years, decades even. It might have had an irreversible effect on them, thus making it impossible for them to even think about putting such tremendous amounts if stress on their already fragile souls to learn this new, foreign magic.

"I'm afraid not," Hyerin answered stiffly, her calculating gaze narrowing slightly as she stared at the small man. Professor Binns shrunk away at the sheer intensity of her gaze.

"And why not? I do believe it is essential for us to be trained if we are going against a force that we have no recorded knowledge about," Snape sneered, his greasy hair falling limply to awkwardly frame his hook nosed face.

"This new magic would put an entirely different amount of strain on your soul seeing as our kind deals with spiritual energy rather than a physical form." Toshiro responded, looking at the potions master with a look of distaste.

"May I at least attempt this new magic you speak of?" A chorus of cries echoed around the room from the fellow teachers as the old headmaster spoke up. His twinkling blue eyes burned with a curiosity that Hyerin had never seen from him before.

"Professor Dumbledore! You shouldn't - !" The old man held up a hand to silence the middle aged witch. Professor McGonagall fell quiet, her thin lips pursed as she was forced to watch the event unfold right before her eyes.

"If you so wish. I trust that you have meditated before and have a base knowledge of your inner self?" Hyerin questioned, standing a little straighter, though she was still completely and utterly dwarfed when compared to the old headmaster.

"It has been many years, but yes, I have," Dumbledore answered the dainty female. Toshiro very slowly extended his reiatsu and found the older man's barrier to be firm. It was obvious that Dumbledore was preparing himself for any ill effects.

"Repeat after me. Hado #1 Shou." Hyerin raised her hands and mimicked the action of pushing something away from her. The air in front of her hands rippled with the soft motion, the minuscule amount of energy she had poured into the recitation barely tangible.

"Hado #1, Shou," the headmaster reiterated. The effect was instantaneous. Dumbledore fell to his knees and clutched his chest. The teachers all rushed to his aid but Toshiro effectively halted them in their tracks with a barrier of his frigid reiatsu.

Toshiro almost absentmindedly threw a dome of ice around himself and Hyerin, watching as the ill effects slowly left the headmaster's system. Through the crystalline structure of the ice, they could see a multitude of colors slamming futilely into the energy imbued shield. When the headmaster was well enough to stand, both Hyerin and Toshiro helped him to his feet. With another wave of his hand, the ice disappeared under Toshiro's command.

At once, they were faced with the wands once again drawn. Hyourinmaru rumbled ominously just as Volum prowled the dark recesses of his confines. If one were to look close enough, they would vaguely see the soft outline of each animal as they paced around their respective masters.

"No need to worry, I'm fine," Dumbledore answered the tense silence serenely. He turned to face the two Shinigami. "I agree whole heartedly when you say that the teachers should not get involved. That was not a pleasant feeling."

Hyerin nodded tensely at Dumbledore's final answer. "If that is all, We best get going; I have urgent matters to discuss with Professor Hitsugaya." Hyerin turned on her heel swiftly and headed for the door. Toshiro leveled one more cold glare at the group of teachers before following after the goddess.

~oOo~

Toshiro followed quietly after the Goddess, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed her small figure. She was pissed off, that was rather obvious. If her forceful steps were anything to go by, she was very angry at something. He took a moment to take in his surroundings and noted that they were headed to the underground training room. The reiatsu of the panther already permeated the air in a heavy blanket.

Eventually, curiosity got the better of him. His thirst to know anything about this puzzling enigma that was storming away from him was irresistible.

"What's wrong? Your attitude has changed drastically within the last twenty four hours and I know for a fact that it has no ties to the fight that has occurred. Answer me, does it have anything to do with the falcon I sighted last night while doing the night patrol?" As he spoke, his teal eyes zeroed in on her steps. He was rewarded with a barley noticeable falter in her step.

"No." Her voice was curt and biting, like a million razor sharp ice shards had just sliced through the air. Tension grew and he used Shunpo to appear in front of her, effectively halting her path entirely.

"You lie," he answered back, looking down into her stormy grey eyes. The colors within them seemed to churn and twist, coming alive with a hidden story that she was trying desperately to hide.

"Why do you question me?" she growled back, her fists balled up at her sides.

"Why do you insist on hiding something from me? We are working in this together, aren't we? If it is vital information to the mission, it would be in your best interest to share it with me," Toshiro answered calmly. The energy that the tiny female was emitting was swirling around her, making his snowy locks stir slightly.

"And if it has absolutely nothing to do with the mission and has things to do with my personal life?" Hyerin responded, her energy dying down. She looked crestfallen and dull now. Toshiro inhaled sharply.

"I don't know what it is about you, but I desperately crave to know more about you. You are an enigma to me, something I have yet to learn about; a perplexity." Toshiro answered, his eyes swirling with a desire to know more about this dainty beauty that stood stock still in front of him. Their eyes met; teal clashing with silver. Desire seemed to saturate the air; a desire to know more about the other and also a different type of desire. A physical desire for the other. A wanting. A throbbing need.

It was becoming dangerous.

Hyerin tore her gaze from those beautiful teal eyes and, without looking back at him, disappeared in a soft swish of shadows. She chose to run away.

Her thoughts raced with her thrumming heartbeat.

'I cannot mix business with pleasure.'

~oOo~

When Hyerin returned to her dorm, her heat sank even more when she recognized the tawny feathered falcon that sat perched on her bedpost. Its yellow eyes drilled holes into her being and she shivered involuntarily. The bird of prey stuck out one clawed foot. Tied to it with a red and black ribbon was a heavy piece of parchment.

When she made no move to retrieve the offensive letter, the bird opened its beak and let out a piercing shriek. With her heart in her throat and a sob threatening to spill out, she reached a shaky hand to the bird and untied the letter. With the letter gone, the bird turned to her and nipped at her pallid skin. Blood that was darker than any other living creature's blood welled to the surface, staining her skin a dark maroon.

Hyerin bit her lip but said nothing. She raised the cut hand over the letter and allowed a certain number of drops fall onto the waxy seal that held the letter shut. When enough blood had trickled out of the wound to fill the depiction of an owl that had a coiled cobra around it, the seal melted away, leaving nothing between the Goddess and her inescapable fate.

She carefully unrolled the thick parchment and her silvery gaze lingered on each of the five words that stood out in sharp relief to the tan paper. A watery sob escaped her throat and a single tear slid down her flawless cheek.

Her mother had found someone who met the standards at which she placed for her daughter.

Her mate had been chosen.

~oOo~

Before any of you riot against me for such a short chapter, I just wanted to say that this isn't a complete chapter. More like a small filler that has important things to add to the plot that I couldn't find any other place to put it so I stuck it into a small mini chapter and released it.

Now you guys can tell me to go die in a hole for not meeting your expectations after however many months it has been since I last updated. -crawls away meekly to go die in my little forever alone corner-

I will try to get the next installment out soon, though I really don't have any guarantees. I'm suffering from massive amounts of writer's block with this plot, so bear with me these next few months. If you guys have any ideas, feel free to put them in a review. If I like it enough, you'll see it somehow incorporated into the plot. When or where it could happen is undefined but I will be sure to credit you!

~SimplyFalling211


	17. Confrontation

This will be the chapter that I finally get Hyerin to stop being so formal; it's a hassle to write her as so cold and emotionless. Yay! From here on out, Toshiro can finally have some badass comments to counter Hyerin's smartass mouth!

I don't own anything.

Chapter 17: Confrontation

Toshiro watched as the goddess that he had come to respect vanish, a swirl of shadows left in her wake. He sighed softly and leaned against the nearest wall, a hand running through his mussed locks of snowy hair.

'_What is wrong with me?'_

The dragon in him rumbled, uncoiling himself from his frozen perch as he reared up to face his master.

'_**Admit it, I'm right. I always am.'**_

Toshiro did not answer his lifelong partner, choosing instead to leap out the nearest window into the cool night air. The wind whistled in his ears as he flash stepped across the tree tops, trying to escape the true meaning behind the dragon's words. One thought alone reverberated against his skull:

'_We're from two different worlds. I can't be with her_

Hyerin stared at the words, the five words that she knew would eventually come to haunt her ever since she grasped the meaning of being part of the Divine.

Arranged marriages were common among the divine children, solely based by the parents themselves. The children of the first generations were always going to be different from their parents, but the offspring that would follow after the first would take on traits of both parents. For example, Hachiman and Dainichi were the Gods and Goddess of War and Wisdom respectively, yet Hyerin was the Goddess of Night and Shadows. Any child that she would bear to her mate would contain a fusion of her powers and her mate's. As the generations continued, the elements that were predominant in the mating would eventually fade to the point where, say, the offspring of the eighth generation would only be skilled in the element versus actually being the ruling Divine Power of it.

Hyerin stumbled to her bedside, tears blurring her vision as she read and reread those words. She has hoped, prayed, and begged her parents not to set her up to this. Her father wholeheartedly agreed with his favorite daughter's choice but her mother was adamant. She wanted a grandchild of utmost power, undoubtedly setting her daughter up with the only fusion that had never been created.

Shadow Fire.

Her mate would be an element of the flame, seeing as light would contradict her element and therefore cause it to be nullified. Shadow fusions were rare amongst the Divine, so it was to her parents' joy that she'd taken on the element as her choice when she was younger.

Volum howled a mournful cry in his city of shadows, drenched in the rains of her sorrow. His heavy fur hung around him like a matted mane but he did nothing to find shelter from the terrible storm. Hyemi stood impassively at his side, her mask a blank slate compared to the usual markings she had on. It was a symbol of her despair. For their dominant half to feel such pain and sorrow made them in turn feel the same emotions.

Hyerin let out a choked cough, tears racing down her porcelain face. Hermione Granger chose this exact moment to pop into the girls' dormitories for her toiletry bag. She stood stock still, not being able to comprehend the sight in front of her.

"P-professor!" Her cry echoed in the room, prompting said goddess to look up with watery eyes, tears clinging to her thick lashes.

Hermione walked into the room and gently shut the door, going to sit next to the foreigner. The words written on the paper which she held were of no language Hermione could discern, yet even with a silent transcribing spell, it didn't make any sense. Either the language was too old for the spell to work or it was a language the spell did not know. Regardless, the female needed comfort and Hermione could do nothing else but attempt to console her.

"What's wrong, Hyerin?" The word felt strange on Hermione's tongue, yet she felt that now was not the time to be using formalities. The girl shook her head, her hair falling to conceal her tear streaked face.

"My life is in ruins," She whispered, just loud enough for Hermione's ears. As the words slipped her mouth, Hermione could have sworn she saw a flash of silver streak by the open window followed by an overwhelming amount of grief. Her heart ached for the poor girl. The girl who she'd known as the strong willed, cold, responsible foreigner since she'd stepped onto campus looked fragile and broken in her arms right now.

Toshiro grimaced as he heard her words, just as he was passing the window.

"_My life is in ruins."_

He could only think that his life was in shambles as well. A wry smile stretched across his worry stricken face.

_In the Divine Society_

Hachiman paced his palace, a glorious building that overlooked the city he was given to govern. His mate, Dainichi, sat at a low table, filling out papers with calm and even strokes of her expensive calligraphy brush.

"How could you do this to our only daughter? Couldn't you have done this to one of our three sons?" He tried not to raise his voice at his beloved, but she was testing his limits with the decision that she'd made behind his back.

"I have just as much of a role in parenting her as you do." Dainichi's soft voice came from a a petite body, it was obvious that Hyerin was the spitting image of her. Despite having her father's stormy grey eyes and midnight colored hair, she was her mother's replica in every physical aspect.

"This has absolutely nothing to do with how much of a role you play in parenting her! She turns 792 this winter! She is very much old enough to make her own kami damned decisions, Dai!"

"I only want what's best for her, Hachi!" Dainichi dropped her brush on the table and rose to her feet. She was tiny in comparison to her husband. Hair the color of ice was twisted into an elegant slipknot and her kimono was of the highest degree. She may have been the Goddess of Wisdom, but she enjoyed spending her fortune on quality items.

"Then let her decide her own fate! We both know where your true inhibitions lie; you want a powerful family. I remember the look of pure happiness when she took on shadows as her element and now you want her to produce an heir into the fusion category that no one has ever breached. Admit it, you're power hungry despite your ruling over the element of wisdom!" Hachiman roared at his mate, his reiatsu swirling around him in an angry storm.

"You know nothing about where my inhibitions lie!" Dainichi screeched at him, her reiatsu coming forth to combat his.

Hachiman suddenly calmed down, his voice lowered to a dangerous timber. "I have been mated to you for several millennia, do not think that I don't know where your inhibitions are. Come, we must go meet with her; I refuse to allow her to take such news on her own." With those words, he spun on his heel and stalked from the room, leaving a quivering goddess in his wake.

_The following day_

Hyerin had dried her tear stained face and had it disguised in an expertly formatted facade of cool indifference. She went on her with her classes, heedless of what had happened the night before. The trio knew to stay away from her, it was obvious Hermione had told the two boys to not bother her with simple questions.

Toshiro too, said nothing the entire day, pretending that the goddess that was next to him was just his partner. Towards the end of the day, something registered on both warrior's senses that only one could understand. Something was coming, something powerful.

Or should I say someone?

Hyerin stiffened in her seat next to Toshiro and he cast her a sidelong look. He did a double take when he saw the one emotion swirling in her glittering eyes that he thought he would never see.

Fear.

Something was coming that made her terrified; the powerful force that both had sensed was only getting stronger, centering around the northwestern point of campus. A small, dilapidated fishing shack rested there, undoubtedly the place that this powerful being chose to set foot to.

Flitwick continued on with his class, not paying the two any mind at all. A cool breeze swept in from the nearest window, tousling the hair of all the students within the vicinity. Hermione, who'd been keeping a close eye on the petite female caught on to the fact that something had spooked her. Toshiro noted this and grew uneasy; it would do them no good for her to truly find out about their identities, and he felt that she was well on her way to figuring it out.

Hyerin calmly raised a hand to go to the bathroom, her muscles rigid and taut with tension. Flitwick obliged and handed her a small wooden pass to go to the loo. Toshiro watched as she left the room, noting with interest as she totally disregarded the direction the bathroom actually was in. He followed her spiritual signature and felt her pause at a window before throwing it open and jumping out.

She flashed by the classroom's window and for one fleeting nanosecond, their eyes met. Without saying anything to the teacher, he calmly slouched in his chair and used shunpo to flee from the classroom and follow his partner. He heard the collective gasp from the students as he took off, disregarding Flitwick's angry outburst.

Something big was about to happen and he would not ever let her face it on her own.

Hachiman and his mate had just set foot onto the cool damp grounds that surrounded a small cabin that looked as if it had been abandoned for decades. They had little issue with the barrier that surrounded the campus, merely bending the shield to their will to let an authority higher than it was made to guard against through. As they were arriving, both divinities let loose a wave of energy, using it as a signal for their only daughter.

Hyerin was out of breath when she paused at the outer edges of the treeline, staring at her sire and mother in a way that truly spoke of how terrified she really was at facing them. Her mother was the first to catch sight of her and spun on her heel to face her child, glittering strands of hair fanning out around her head in a halo with the movement.

"My daughter." The welcome was about as warm as the frigid waters of the frozen black lake. Hyerin tensed but slowly stepped forwards, her head bent to look down at her feet, a sign of submission to her powerful parents. Thoughts raced through her mind.

'_What do they want?'_

Hachiman exuded more warmth at the sight of his favorite child than his mate did. He stepped towards the dainty female and enveloped her in a fatherly hug that utterly shrouded her body from sight. Hyerin sighed, relaxing slightly at the sincerity in the hug; it meant that they weren't here on hostile terms. At least her father wasn't.

Toshiro flash stepped to where he last sensed the goddess was, standing just two hundred meters shy of where the clearing was. Close enough that he could still over hear what was being said yet far enough away that if he was careful, he could avoid detection. He peered around the trunk of a massive Hackberry tree. The intertwining branches offered a relatively clear view of the scene that was unfolding in front of him.

"I can assume you know why we are here," the female with silver hair intoned softly, gesturing at the raven haired female. The hulking male glowered at the other woman.

"I don't know why you are here, but I am here to comfort my daughter because I know how upset she is over a decision that you decided to make behind our backs," he growled at the woman. She didn't look deterred.

Toshiro was ever so slightly taken aback. So these were her parents? Despite being subtle with their entrance, the wave of reaitsu that they had released was impressive enough. It was obvious that they held more power than their appearances commanded. As he continued to observe the two newcomers, he found it rather obvious that they were indeed her sire and mother.

She acted so much like her father it uncanny. Her stance was just as guarded as his, yet she held none of that regality that her mother asked for. Her mother held her head high and her fine silk, many layered kimono only said so much to him that she enjoyed her money and she enjoyed having a lot of respect shown in her direction.

It seemed that she didn't really enjoy being treated like the powerful goddess she actually was. He smiled slightly at it; if there was one trait that you didn't see very much in humans nowadays, it was the trait of being a humble person.

"Do you know who your mate is?" Toshiro started at this new piece of information. Mate? As in… a husband? Was this gathering over the topic of an arranged marriage?

"I have an idea of who it is. This is my last plea, mother. Please do not arrange for me to be mated by someone of your choice. There are several options that you set before me and you know that none of them are my type," Hyerin answered, her voice calm and placating. Her silver eyes shone with unshed tears as she slowly sank to her knees, taking on the most submissive position he'd seen her in yet.

Her mother snorted softly at her daughter and uncaringly waved her hand away.

"Indeed I know what type you would want. Ice. However, a child born between a dark element and fire element has yet to be created; you would be the first. Do you not want that?" Dainichi questioned, staring her daughter down the bridge of her nose.

"You know I do not care to create a fusion the likes of nothing ever born; as long as any child I birth to your throne is healthy, that is all I would need to be content. Why do you wish for a DarkFire fusion so badly?" Hyerin responded in a slightly timid voice. The very last thing that she wanted was to upset her mother. Things had not gone so well the last time that she'd done so. It had almost cost her rank as a goddess entirely. Just like how a human could disown their child, gods and goddesses could also strip their children of their powers.

"Why do you wish to have an ice elemental as your mate?" Dainichi responded sharply. Hyerin flinched physically at the tone. Hachiman let a low growl rumble from his chest cavity. The deep note was an obvious warning for his mate to watch herself.

"Ice elementals are just as rare as shadows. You see fire everywhere," Hyerin answered slowly, keeping her eyes downcast. Dainichi threw her head back with a sharp laugh.

"I know that's not the only reason. You've already chosen one for yourself, haven't you? An ice elemental that you want to be yours. I know you better than you think, daughter." Hyerin inhaled quickly, her thoughts racing.

'_I can't let her find out about my feelings for him!'_

Dainichi continued, completely undeterred with her daughter's reaction. In fact, the sudden intake of breath seemed to spur her on.

"Did you meet him here? Is he, by chance…. The male that is standing two hundred yards away from us, eavesdropping on this conversation?" Hyerin's eyes widened at the question her mother asked.

'_No!'_

Toshiro cursed to himself silently, but did not need another remark to make his identity even more blatantly obvious than it already was. He stepped away from the shadows and flared his reiatsu slightly, unsure if he would welcomed warmly or on hostile terms.

He felt absurdly self conscious as he slowly walked towards the clearing, brushing away branches that obscured his path. He kept his head held high, not daring to let it drop in shame.

After having so many years of being Yamamoto's subordinate, he felt the urge to drop his head in a formal bow, yet he couldn't actually bring himself to do it. He raised his eyes to stare at both superiors, gauging their reaction to him solely based on the emotion that he saw within them.

The father looked at him with appraising eyes, lifting a heavy eyebrow to look at him. It was obvious the older man didn't reject him, but he wasn't placing any bets that he was accepted either.

The mother, however, blatantly curled her lip up at him in disgust, tossing her fine hair away from her face.

"He may be easy on the eyes, but you would never make a very good fus-"

"I'm sick and tired of the fusion shit! I don't want you to choose my mate, for kami's sake, mother! I'm old enough to decide who I want and I for one have made it extremely obvious and have stressed the fact that I don't want any of the ones you chose for me! You know what? I'm done. I'm done with all this, what did you call it? Finesse? Elegance? I'm done. I no longer want to be held in highest regard by you. I might be your daughter, but I'm just your gateway to power, aren't I?" Hyerin seethed, eyes flashing brightly. Hachiman placed a placating hand on his daughter's shoulder, calming her slightly.

"How dare you even think to talk to me like that!" Dainichi hissed, blue eyes narrowing in hatred. Toshiro took a step backwards, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire of two powerful, angry women.

"Good choice, son. They row all the time when she's home. Last time they fought, I had to spend several million dollars to repair my palace of the damage they wrought." Hachiman had seemed to warm up to Toshiro. He certainly didn't mind. He had actually paid attention in history class and knew for a fact that the hulking man was indeed the God of War.

_Meanwhile_

Hermione had been on the edge of her seat ever since the night before, when she'd consoled her own professor and dorm mate after watching her burst into tears. She was no expert in the behaviors of some girls, but not even Lavender could cry that much for such a long time.

She'd gotten to breakfast early that morning, surprised at the fact that both Harry and Ron were already at the table, shoveling heaping servings of hash browns and scrambled eggs onto their plates. She wasn't surprised anymore when they had asked to copy the Potions homework that was assigned a week ago.

"Please, 'Mione? One last time!" Ron had pleaded with her, eggs and drops of spittle flying out of his too-full mouth. Hermione wrinkled her face in disgust and shoved the parchment his way, not even bothering to put up a fight with him that morning after having gotten less than her minimum of five hours of rest.

Harry hadn't said anything at all, his expression indicated that he was deep in thought. He chewed a bite of bacon before turning to look at Hermione.

"Hitsugilia never came back to the dorm last night." Harry had never paused to fix the way he said the foreign name. Even though he knew what the correct pronunciation was, the odd nickname had stuck with him.

Hermione nodded, taking a sip of juice to clear her throat before answering him.

"Hyerin was sobbing her bloody eyes out last night; I don't think I've ever seen a girl so distraught over something. She kept saying that her 'life was in ruins'. Over and over again as she cried," Hermione replied, turning to eat a portion of her eggs. Harry seemed to ponder this information. If something came up that made both of the warriors to take on such drastic and outlandish responses, it had to be worth looking into.

None of the trio had really spoken since then, seeing as Harry was caught up with looking after Toshiro and Hermione after Hyerin. Ron was oblivious as ever to his two best friends, only having eyes to finish copying the Potions homework before the actual class itself.

When Hyerin had asked to go to the loo during Charms, Hermione knew something was up. She had a gut feeling that she wasn't heading towards the bathroom at all and this feeling only intensified when Toshiro had used some form of foreign movement to leave his seat and out the open window.

She stared long and hard at the window, trying to place this complex jigsaw puzzle that seemed to make up the two foreigners. The more she got to figure them out from the way they seemed so formal to the way they fought, everything was beginning to point to something that wasn't quite as mundane as she thought it was.

_Back with the others_

"Let's go home, Dai. We don't need to cause a ruckus here. This isn't the palace and therefore I can't spend money to fix it. Drop the subject and let's go." Hachiman glowered at his petite mate and wrapped an arm around her before hauling her onto his shoulder. Hyerin growled lowly, ready to lash out at her mother when she was in her most helpless position. A cool arm around her waist stopped her.

"Your sire is right, you don't need to get involved in this. This is a mission and therefore you need to behave yourself." Toshiro felt slightly like a parent scolding his child. He tightened his hold on her when she began to writhe in his arms, hissing that she was going to claw her mother's face off. Both men glanced at each other before nodding stiffly.

Hachiman turned on his heel and opened a small Senkaimon that would lead to the Divine Society. Toshiro turned around and began the trek through the woods back to the castle.

"Let go of me," Hyerin snarled, becoming suddenly calm as soon as she was out of sight of her mother. Physically, she looked calm, but from the way she'd demanded her release still entailed how angry she was.

Toshiro begrudgingly let go of her, standing still as she dusted her uniform off.

"What was this ordeal with an arranged marriage?" he questioned coolly. He didn't mean to be so forceful with the way he said it, but he had to admit that he was becoming attracted to his partner in a deeper way than he thought was safe.

"When children of the divine come of age, most parents will set them up with a suitable other whom would produce a good fusion, one that would ensure a strong lineage. I am their only daughter, so you can imagine how much my mother took this to heart. She wants a ShadowFire fusion almost as much as I want to avoid it. You for one know that I don't exactly despise the heat, but I dislike it to a certain degree. My father knows of that as well, which is why he approves of you as a choice for being my mate," Hyerin answered simply. Toshiro felt his face flush with heat. He knew he was attracted to her, but for her father to approve of him so quickly after just meeting him? Just a little shocking.

"Don't get any ideas, I don't plan on being tied down yet. It may be in my future, but I'm going to try to avoid it for as long as I can. I know eventually that I will need to produce a child for my parents, but my brother didn't have his first child until he was well over the ripe age of 1200," she stated matter-of-factly.

"I wasn't thinking anything," Toshiro snapped back, realizing too late that his biting tone may have warded her off.

She turned to give him a flirtatious bat of her long lashes. "Sure you weren't."

Her personality had changed drastically since her outbShetland. She wasn't as refined or formal. She was more open and relaxed, an air of confidence seemed to surround her. It seemed that she no longer needed to watch herself.

Toshiro managed a weak snort as they continued back to the castle.

It was night by the time they'd made it back, pausing only to deviate from their path when a group of Menos Grande has registered at the edge of campus. The small group was dispatched easily as both Shinigami headed to their respective dorms.

Toshiro threw the open the curtains that surrounded his bed, coming to face the golden egg he had received at the end of his first match. He'd barely spared it a second glance since the first challenge and the date of the second match was drawing near. It seemed that from the gossip that was passing about, Cedric Diggory had already figured it out by taking a bath in the prefect's bathroom on the fourth floor.

With the thought of water, Toshiro's thoughts drifted to the black lake; He was positive the second challenge had something to do with the lake, and whether it was swimming through a course or something similar, he knew he was going to excel.

I mean, come on, his Zanpakutou ruled over both ice AND water.

END!

Next up, the trio finds out? AND the second match! Oh jeez, that chapter is going to be loong. See you then!

Ja Ne!

SimplyFalling211


End file.
